


Love In A Time Of War

by OneMoreNight1996



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Prince Forsythe, Princess Elizabeth - Freeform, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-03-07 05:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 61,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18866875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneMoreNight1996/pseuds/OneMoreNight1996
Summary: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Forsythe are arranged to be married to end an age old war between the Kingdoms of Riverdale and Eldervair. Neither is too happy about the prospect, but duty is everything.





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead had been sitting in his chambers, observing the courtyard outside, when his father had entered. He greeted him with the formality befitting a King before he had dismissed the knights with him and gestured for Jughead to take a seat at the table which he did hastily.

"We need to put an end to this war, our men are fighting and dying for a cause that no one believes in anymore." His father started and Jughead nodded.

"This war has been going on since before I was born father, if we hadn't ended it by now then it may never end." He said and his father seemed to study him for a long moment before he answered.

"I've been in negotiation with King Harold of Riverdale for a few months, neither of us want to continue the fighting." He stated before he leaned forward and gave Jughead a serious look. "You are of age, and King Harold has a daughter, we have decided to join our houses to cement the truce." 

"You're asking me to marry?" Jughead asked incredulously.

"I am not asking son, I'm giving you warning. The princess is at this moment, traveling to our kingdom, and you will marry her after she arrives. We are going to put an end to the bloodshed." He said and Jughead glared at him.

"So you're marrying your only son off to a foreign princess?" He snapped and his father sighed.

"This is what is best for the kingdom, I cannot weigh your happiness above the lives of thousands of men. Give her a chance and you may find that she isn't so bad, she will be your wife and bear your children, if you cannot find love with her then friendship is a goal, of you will be miserable all your life." He said before standing. "Get dressed in your ceremonial clothing and join me in the throne room, I have called a meeting of the Lords and Ladies, to announce the treaty between our kingdoms."

He left without allowing Jughead the chance to respond, or complain. He moved toward the wardrobe just as his servant Dilton entered the room and took out the chain mail and cape, marking him as a Knight of Eldervair, and the gold circlet crown marking him as Prince. His servant moved to help him dress in silence, which didn't take long and he took a deep breath before opening the door and making his way down the hallway toward the throne room, with Dilton trailing respectfully behind him. As he stepped into the room, the people milling about turned to bow to him as he walked to the front of the room to stand to the right of his father, who was seated on the throne. Jellybean wasn't present and Jughead figured that his father hadn't deemed it necessary for her to be here and he agreed. She was barely ten years old, much to young to be embroiled in matters of the court.

His father cleared his throat causing everyone in the room to go quiet and turn to him, and he stood and stepped forward. Jughead kept his place respectfully in deference to his father and King, as he thanked everyone for coming as if they had the power to refuse a summons. 

"As you all know, we've been locked in a bitter war with the kingdom of Riverdale for quite a long time, but today I'm happy to announce that our kingdoms have reached a truce. It is a fair and honorable agreement." He said and the room erupted into murmurs of conversation before his father continued. "Furthermore, our friendship will be cemented by a union that cannot be broken, my son and heirs hand in marriage to Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth."

The announcement was met with applause and congratulations to Jughead. The meeting didn't last for much longer, the important business out of the way and Jughead slipped away as inconspicuously as he could and ended up in the garden. He heard footsteps behind him and he knew who it would be before he even turned around.

"So, you're getting married. huh?" Archie asked. Veronica was standing next to him and Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Can you two not involve yourselves in this, it's barely been ten minutes." He said and Veronica laughed.

"You know we can't resist the chance to meddle in the affairs of others, especially our worthy prince." She said and the sarcasm was blatantly clear in her voice. No one else in the entire kingdom would dare speak to their prince in the way that she was know but Jughead had gotten used to it. He, Veronica and Archie had grown up together, and they never treated him differently just because he was their prince. He was thankful to have them, as they were part of only a handful of people that didn't treat him like they were afraid to say the wrong thing around him, lest the lose a head.

"My father insists that this is the only way to end the war, and I agree. We've been fighting a war that isn't ours for far to long, it is time for it to end." He said. Archie nodded but Veronica shrugged.

"She's probably ugly." She said and Jughead furrowed his brow as he looked at her.

"Why do you say that?" He asked. Veronica shrugged.

"Her parents were quick to marry her off to some far away prince instead of someone from her own kingdom, maybe it's because they know what she looks like and no one will take her." She said and Jughead rolled his eyes.

"It's a marriage that was arranged to cement a truce Veronica. From what I know of the family she has two older siblings, a brother and sister, it makes it simpler to marry her off for an alliance. Her children would never inherit the throne anyway. There's nothing wrong with her." He said and she shrugged again.

"Whatever you say." She said and sat on the bench next to them. Archie moved to join her, his chain mail clinking quietly as he did. Jughead looked at them and sighed as he sat on the fountain across from them.

"Even if there was something wrong with her, I don't have much choice. She is going to be my wife, I'd rather give her a chance than be determined to hate this, after all she's the one who's being shipped away from everything she's ever known." He said.

"I always knew you were an honorable man, Jughead Jones." Veronica said.

They sat outside for a little while longer until a servant came to them and informed Jughead that Jellybean wanted to see him. He made his way to her chambers swiftly and was greeted by her lady's maid as he was admitted to the room. She was sitting on her bed sewing a design into a piece of cloth, but she tossed it to the side when she saw him. She gave him a big hug and he hugged her before he sat next to her.

"What's going on, JB. Are you okay?" He asked and she smiled and nodded.

"I'm okay." She said simply as she turned to face him on the bed. "I heard the maids speaking in the hallway, they said you're getting married."

"I am." He said and she smiled wider.

"Is she beautiful?" She asked. He gave her a gentle smile as he shrugged.

"I don't know, I've never met her." He told her and she got a furrowed look on her face.

"If you've never met her, why are you getting married?" She asked and he sighed as she looked at him with an earnest look on her face.

"Duty. It's what's best for the kingdom." He told her gently.

"What about love?" She asked and he took a deep breath as her eyes seemed to bore into him. For someone so young she had a way of making a person want to bare their souls, just by looking at them. He admired his little sister for her persistence.

"Love will come." He said softly, hoping against hope that he hadn't just lied to his little sister, and it would be true. He had never met Princess Elizabeth, nor had he heard whisperings about her. He knew her siblings were spoken about even in his kingdom. Her brother was allegedly of a certain persuasion and preferred the company of other men to woman, but that hadn't been confirmed and her sister had allegedly gotten pregnant out of wedlock prompting the rather hasty wedding to her husband, which had also not been confirmed but people seemed strongly convinced of as her children had been born very soon after the wedding. He had heard that and may other stories about them, but their elusive younger sister wasn't mentioned. It was strange because everyone was intrigued by the inner workings of royalty, but not necessarily a bad thing, after all the same could be said about him. He tried to keep out of the public intrigue as much as possible.

He spoke to his sister for a little while longer before leaving her to finish her needle pointing and making his way back to his room. It had been an eventful day and it wasn't even halfway over,but he decided to shirk his duties for the rest of the day as he retreated. He took off the ceremonial robes and sent Dilton away for the rest of the day as he settled in behind his heavy desk and began writing in his journal. It was leather bound and made of the finest material, an he used it to write down his deepest thoughts, just to get them out so that he could focus on other things.

His mind wandered to a fact that he hadn't grasped in the whirlwind of activities of the day, in a fortnight he was expected to stand in front of his people and before his gods and pledge himself to someone else. He would be expected to provide heirs as soon as possible and he spared a thought for how his bride must be feeling. Her family had traded her away for an alliance with another kingdom, and he knew that it was just the way of the world but he thought it was hardly fair. Did she have someone at home that she had been forced to leave behind? Did she even want to marry him? His thoughts left him feeling guilty and he decided then and there that he would do everything in his power to make her life a good one, he was determine to be a good husband to her. Neither of them had asked for this but he was going to make the best of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Betty was resting against a tree while the people around her set up the campsite. They had been riding for the better part of two days, on a slow march toward Eldervair, where her future husband resided. When they finally made it, she would be expected to stay while the people around her marched back to the only home she had ever known. She had known that one day she would have to marry and leave, she even knew that it would probably be an arranged marriage for a political alliance, but when her mother had come to her and informed her of the impending wedding she had still shed tears. She had cried for two days, even as Polly came to her to comfort her and assure her that marriage wasn't so bad. Betty had lashed out at her, saying that she at least knew her husband before her wedding.

She had been left alone by her family after that, with only a maid, who moved about the room packing her things. After a while she had begun to feel like a child throwing a tantrum so she had joined her family for supper. No one spoke about the circumstances, sticking to topics such as court gossip, which Betty found shallow and stupid but she really only had to listen while her mother and sister spoke. The most recent being the scandal involving her cousin Cheryl Blossom, who had been caught kissing her maid by a knight and both had disappeared into the night like mist before they could be brought in front of the King. Betty had seen them slipping out of the castle and into the forest from her window, but she had just turned away and not mentioned it to anyone. If they were going to be brave, she was at least going to give them a fighting chance at disappearing. Her mother had scoffed and called her a torrent of unpleasant names not befitting a lady. When it had come time to say goodbye, they had stood on the steps of the castle and exchanged verbal goodbyes, the only hugs coming from Polly and her twins. As Betty had stepped away from her family, she had been helped onto her horse by a knight before they flanked her providing a veritable wall of protection and they set off. She hadn't let herself look back at the rapidly disappearing castle lest she have tears falling over her cheeks again. She had been bartered away, on the promise of peace with the neighboring Kingdom, and she could respect the need for the truce, but she was still unhappy. She had never traveled away from her own kingdom and now she was expected to leave it all behind for a new one.

She sighed as a knight stepped up next to her and handed her a piece of hard meat on bread. She thanked him politely before turning away, making it clear that she was dismissing him from her side before she stood and moved closer to the river she had been observing from her spot. She was standing on the edge of the bank when she felt a presence behind her once again and she turned her head slightly to see her maid, Ethel. She had been the one saving grace, they had grown up together as she had trained to be a maid to the princess and she was going to stay in Eldervair with Betty when everyone else left. One familiar face in a sea of others was a comforting thought to her.

"Planning to throw yourself in Princess?" She asked and Betty smiled slightly.

"That'd be terribly unfortunate, what would my betrothed think?" She said and Ethel stepped up next to her, still a few steps back respectfully.She touched Betty's arm lightly.

"He may not be that bad." She said quietly. "I've heard nothing about him, so he can't be too horrible."

"Or he's so horrible that everyone is afraid to say anything about him." She said, looking out across the river. It was only another two days of riding and they'd be at the castle, and she wasn't so sure she wanted to go, but it was her duty to seal the treaty and bring peace.

"Try being a little optimistic. If you go in thinking he's cruel, then you won't give him a chance to prove differently. He is to be your husband, My Lady, try not to judge him to harshly before you've even given him a chance." She said and Betty sighed.

"You're right, of course. I shouldn't be so quick to judge, here's hoping he's a good man." She said before turning away from the river and making her way across the campsite and into the tent that had been set up for her with Ethel trailing behind. She sat on the chaise in the corner of the room and began removing her jewelry, which Ethel took and place carefully in a wooden box. Ethel moved behind her and began taking the ribbons out of her hair, which had been put in a braid for riding, and began brushing it out. It was quickly becoming dark outside and she could see the fires that had been lit outside. She stood from the chaise after Ethel was done with her hair and she pulled the ribbons on the front of her dress releasing the fabric and pulling it off her shoulders and hanging it over the wooden panel at the edge of the tent, and Ethel helped her remove the petticoats leaving her in only her chemise. Betty sent her out to bring her supper and after finishing it she laid down on the feather bed that had been brought along. She pulled the blanket over her form as Ethel moved around the tent, blowing out candles before leaving her alone.

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling as she let her thoughts wonder. She knew that she would be expected to consummate her marriage and bear children for the prince, which made her a little nervous. She wasn't a stranger to the concept, having heard the maids in the castle or the women in the town whispering about it, but she had obviously never experienced it herself. It was an almost foreign concept to her, and she didn't want to disappoint her husband considering she was going to be with him for the rest of her life. She had tried to ask her sister about it before she left but she had been told that talking of such things wasn't proper, and she had been desperate enough to ask Ethel about it. She had blushed to the roots of her hair and stuttered for a few moments before refusing to talk to her about it. She could have ordered her too but she wasn't a cruel person so that left her in the dark about the exact machinations, and she hoped that her husband was a little more informed than her.

She had to admit that the thought of lying with a man was intriguing and she was curious which she could admit to in the privacy of her own tent, even as her face flamed. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she rolled over to her side and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She laid awake in the dark listening to the sounds of the knights outside the tent to distract herself from going down that thought process again. She cleared her mind and allowed her eyes to go fuzzy until they drifted closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Betty was jolted awake when the sun was barely in the sky by the sound of something clattering to the floor. She sat up quickly ready to move but as sh took in the room she saw only Ethel standing next to the desk with a guilty look on her face.

"I apologize My Lady, I didn't mean to wake you. I knocked something over." She said and Betty pressed her hand to her chest as she took a deep breath to calm herself, her heart still thumping rapidly under her fingers.

"It's alright Ethel, we should get moving soon anyway." She said as she pushed the blankets off her body and stood to move toward the scared maid. "Help me dress."

Ethel moved immediately to pull a riding cloak out and a simple dress. she got ready quickly before allowing Ethel to pull her hair back again, and they left the tent together to get breakfast that was cooking over the fire. The knights bowed to her respectfully as she walked by and handed her breakfast first. Once they had eaten and everything had been repacked, they set off once again and Betty shifted on her horses back. She was sore from the days of riding and her muscles protested as the movement began again, but she wasn't going to complain and slow their trip further. 

They rode for the majority of the morning before stopping to take a break. Hard hunks of meat were passed around and she chewed hers slowly leaning against a tree. The closer they got to the kingdom the more differences she noticed. The trees and plants seemed strangely more vibrant than in Riverdale and the river they had followed here rushed over the rocks defiantly, unlike in Riverdale where the river was lazy and slow. 

The people they had passed on the way seemed friendlier and more cheery and Betty found herself wondering how different things would be from how she had grown up. The people of the court were all obsessed with appearing perfect, even when everyone knew all their dirty secrets, and she wondered what the court was like in Eldervair. Was it the same, or was it more vibrant and giving like the landscape around them. 

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of hoof beats rapidly approaching. A knight moved to her immediately ready to defend her from any and all attacks as they waited with baited breath. Everyone in the camp had suddenly gone rigid and she could see a few of the knights with their hands resting on their swords ready to draw them at any second. After a few tense minutes of listening the first rider broke through the trees and Betty could see he was carrying the Royal Insignia of Eldervair, a green serpent coiled on a black background. 

The captain of her knights greeted them and the man holding the banner hopped down from his horse and she saw a shock of red hair. He gave a polite greeting back and explained that they had been sent to help lead them the rest of the way to the castle, and would be with them for the next while. Betty stepped forward and thanked them for the generous gesture before everyone got back on their horses to begin again. They rode well into the early evening before stopping to make camp once more and the Knight with red hair approached her, causing one of her own knights to keep his place beside her instead of moving to help with unloading.

"Princess." He bowed politely before taking a pouch off of his belt and holding it out to her. "Prince Forsythe sends this as a token of affection, and he hopes you'll wear it."

She reached out and took the pouch from his hand. It was heavy and she heard quiet clinking as she pulled the string to open the pouch. She turned it over into her other hand and a heavy gold chain fell against her hand. She turned it up to examine the item and realized that it was a gold necklace with the the insignia of Eldervair as a pendant. She smiled softly at it before she looked up at the man in front of her.

"He is very kind to send a gift, I shall wear it when we meet." She said placing it carefully back into the pouch. "Thank you for delivering this Sir...."

"Archie, My Lady." He said with a half smile and she inclined her head.

"Thank you, Sir Archie." She said before politely excusing herself and retiring to her tent, the pouch clutched in her hand. Ethel was waiting for her when she entered and helped her undress quietly as Betty ran her fingers along the edges of the bag. She opened it once again and let the necklace fall into her hand where she studied it more observantly.

The serpent was in beautiful green jewels that she hadn't seen before and she ran her fingers over them gently. They were smooth and beautiful and she couldn't quite believe that this was a gift for her. Ethel touched her shoulder lightly and held her hand out, prompting Betty to lay the necklace in her hand. She almost didn't want to let go of it, but Ethel slipped it around her neck quickly. The pendant fell gently between her breast and she touched it as she looked at her reflection and she thought, her betrothed had sent a gift for her, he must be thoughtful at least and it gave her hope that he would be kind as well. She was almost looking forward to meeting him, if only to get rid of some of the curiosity.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead had been informed that the princess had arrived hours ago, and Archie refused to tell him anything about her, saying that a surprise was better. She was being given the time to clean up after traveling for days to get to the kingdom before she would be presented to him and his father in the throne room. He had been pacing the room as he waited to be summoned by his father, and he was getting anxious at the time it was taking. He just wanted to get this over with so he'd at least know what she looked like, but he understood the need for her to be given time to get ready. Finally Archie appeared once again at his door, and they made their way to the throne room, where he took his place by his fathers side.

It didn't take much longer for the doors to open admitting the Knights of Riverdale, and gliding down across the floor in the middle of them was the princess. He couldn't see her face on account of the veil she wore over it, but she was wearing a dress that was a soft blue color. She seemed to move across the floor as if her feet weren't touching it, graceful as she was, and she looked perfectly poised. She stopped directly in front of the throne and moved to lift the veil. Her face was tilted toward the floor as it settled over the back of her head, and she finally looked up and he was struck by her beauty. Their eyes met in that moment blue meeting green and he was so stunned that it took him a moment to notice that she was wearing the necklace he had sent for her. His father's voice jerked him out of his staring suddenly.

"Welcome to Eldervair Princess, we hope your travel wasn't too difficult." He said and she inclined her head to him.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I look forward to getting to know the kingdom." She said and her voice was high and melodic like music. 

"We shall have a feast to celebrate your arrival and the newfound peace between our kingdoms." He declared and Jughead took his cue and moved toward the Princess. Her gaze become solely focused on him as he stopped next to her.

"I would be honored if you'd accompany me to the feast, My Lady." He said. She smiled at him.

"Of course, My Lord." She answered. He held out his arm for her to take before leading her out of the throne room and toward the feast hall where the servants had already been working to set everything up. They moved toward the table placed at the front of the room and she sat in the chair at the very end. His father and sister joined them a short while later and the feast began, the lords and ladies of the court taking their places at the remaining tables. 

Near the end of the feast his father motioned for the musicians to start playing and soft music floated around the room. Jughead noticed Archie and Veronica dancing together, as others joined them and the princess seemed mesmerized by it. She was watching them with wide eyes and a soft astonished look on her face as they glided around the floor their cloaks and dresses seemingly floating around them as they moved. He studied her face while she was distracted and was once again stunned by her beauty. Her eyes were a soft green color and she had soft face, he wanted to kiss her to see if her lips were as soft as they looked but he knew that it would be improper. He shook hs head to get rid of the thoughts running around his head and cleared his throat causing her to look at him.

"Would you accompany me for a walk in the gardens, My Lady?" He asked as he stood and held out a hand for her to take. She nodded politely and stood to join him, and he led her through the castle and out into the garden. Her ladies maid and a knight had followed them and he knew it was to enforce proper conduct, but they stayed far enough away to not be intrusive. He led her to the fountain and moved to sit on the bench next to it. She smiled as she looked around at the flowers, illuminated by the fire in the sconces along the path.

"It's beautiful here." She said with a soft voice.

"What's it like where you're from?" He asked curiously and she shrugged.

"We have flowers and trees, but they're not as pretty as these ones, much less colorful." She said. He looked at her as she spoke and she seemed to sense his eyes on her because her's flicked over to meet his. "We would never have been allowed to dance like that in my kingdom."

"What do you mean?" He asked softly. She gave him a sad smile.

"They looked free and happy when they were dancing. Where I come from, everything is very proper, rigid you could say." She said as she glanced back to the castle where the music was still floating gently on the air to their ears. "I want to learn to dance like that."

"I could teach you." He said softly touching her hand lightly. She turned back to him with a smile that held happiness instead of the sad one from before.

"I'd like that." She told him.

They went quite for a moment as she observed their surroundings before her eyes landed on the cloak over his shoulders, and the soft leather shirt he wore under it, before landing on the sword strapped to his belt.

"So you're a knight?" She asked.

"Of course. It is an honor to be a knight, I'm proud to bear the title." He said and she bit her lip before meeting his eyes.

"And being a knight, is that a honor you were given because you earned it, or because you are the King's son?" She asked and he looked at her surprised. She didn't seem to be trying to extract a response but the question still irked him.

"I earned my place among the knights, Princess. I fought and trained with them, it was not just handed to me." He said abruptly and her eyes widened. She touched his arm lightly.

"I did not mean to offend you, My Lord, I'm just used to princes who use their title to get what the want." She said. "I only wondered if you were like that, or if you were better."

"I try not to use my title to get things, I want to earn them, just like everyone else." He said. His anger had calmed at her explanation but he was curious. "Are you speaking of your brother?"

"He has always been entitled." She said looking at him. "If he sees something he wants, a title, a jewel, or even a person he uses his own title to get it. He is not a kind man." 

"You don't have to worry about me being like that, My Lady. I promise that I will never harm you, in any way." He said and she nodded.

"I also asked, because I thought we should at least know something about one another. We are expected to get married tomorrow, after all." She said.

"Yes, we are." He said quietly before taking her hand. "I will do my best to make your life here a happy one Princess."

She smiled at him. "You are a kind man."

They stayed in the garden for a while longer before he led her back into the castle and toward her chambers. They walked leisurely through the halls and when they finally reach her doors he took her hand and brought it up to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her hand. When he turned to walk away she caught his arm and he spun back around to face her.

"Thank you for walking me to my chambers, My Lord." She said softly.

"Of course, My Lady." He said and she bit her lip as she looked at him.

"You can call me by my name, My Lord, you are going to be my husband." She said. He looked at her for a long moment before he bowed to her.

"Goodnight Elizabeth." He said softly and she smiled.

"Goodnight Forsythe." She said before turning and entering her chambers. Her ladies maid followed closely behind closing the door tightly and he turned to make his way to his own chambers. He thought about their exchange and her use of his full name. It sounded like music coming from her mouth but he wanted her to call him by the name that his closest friends did. He knew it would take some time but he knew they'd eventually get to that point and he couldn't wait to hear her say it, he knew it would be amazing.

When he got back to his chambers he walked in to see his father standing by the window, staring out into the courtyard below and he turned to face him as he entered the room. Jughead removed his cloak and laid it over the back of a chair before joining his father at the window. He looked out into the kingdom around them.

"Father." He greeted politely and his father glanced at him.

"She's very beautiful." He said and Jughead looked at him, meeting his eyes.

"She is." He agreed. His father motioned to the table as he moved to sit, prompting Jughead to join him.

"You are to marry her tomorrow." He said. "I know you understand the importance of consummating your marriage, it will not hold if you do not."

"I know father." He said and his father nodded.

"But you also have to take her into account." He said quietly. "She is a princess, not a whore. You need to be gentle with her, she was bartered away by her parents for a truce and she deserves to be treated with care. She is not a play thing. She will be your wife, and the mother of your children."

"I know." Jughead insisted. "I'll never hurt her."

"Good." He stood. "You're a good man. I have no doubt that you'll be a good husband."

His father left promptly and Jughead finished undressing before he climbed into bed. He was going to be married tomorrow and he knew abstractly that he'd have to consummate the marriage, but now that he had met her the images in his head became more concrete, preventing him from sleeping. He was staring at the ceiling, thinking about her in a way that was surely considered improper. She was a lady for gods sake but still he couldn't banish the thoughts of what was going on underneath her dress. He felt almost guilty and he refused to touch himself while thinking about her as he rolled to his side and stared at the wall thinking about anything other than his bride until he finally drifted off into a fitful sleep. His dreams were plagued with images of her in various stages of undress, driving him crazy, and he couldn't stop them, but when he woke bright and early the next morning he scolded himself and promised that he would be honorable for his bride.


	4. Chapter 4

Betty was woken early the next morning by Ethel and ushered into the bath, where she washed her hair and scrubbed her skin while Ethel moved around her chambers, pulling out clothes and jewelry. Betty dried off after getting out and moved to sit in front of the desk that Ethel had spread everything out on. Ethel moved to comb out her hair before pulling it up into an intricate hairstyle with small braids circling her head like a crown, and she laid the gold band around the top of her head with a small jewel falling perfectly in the center of her forehead. Betty looked through the jewelry set out in front of her and pulled out the necklace that had been given to her before reaching it to Ethel, who fastened it.

She stood from the chair and dropped the cloth that she had used to dry off and cover up before moving to pull the chemise over her head. Ethel moved to pull her gown around her and fasten it, the garment fastened in the front with silk ribbons pulled tight into small bows, and it was a soft white color. She smoothed the skirt out with her hands as she looked in the mirror, she was the picture of a perfect bride and it startled her a little how much she liked it. She looked beautiful. Ethel moved up behind her and put her hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Are you scared?" She asked softly. Betty shook her head.

"Not as much as I was before. He is a decent man, it could have been worse." She said and Ethel smiled.

"He's quite handsome." She said and Betty blushed lightly.

"I had noticed." She said sending them both into giggles.

A knock on the door interrupted them and Ethel went to answer it while Betty stayed in front of the mirror admiring her form in the dress. She heard voices talking quietly by the door, one of them decidedly male and she glanced over her shoulder to look. She caught a glimpse of red hair as Ethel closed the door again and she suspected that it had been the knight she met before, who had given her the necklace, Sir Archie. She turned fully to look at Ethel. 

"Is it time?" She asked. Ethel gave her a soft smile.

"Yes, My Lady." She said. Betty nodded and turn back to the mirror to take one last look, making sure everything was perfect before taking a deep breath and leaving the room. The only people she passed on the way to the throne room were the knights stationed throughout the castle and she stopped in front of the doors that would soon open and she looked at Ethel with wide eyes. Ethel reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her a reassuring nod before letting go and Betty took a step forward.

The doors opened wide and she saw the crowd of people standing on either side of the aisle and she closed her eyes for a moment to calm her breathing and her beating heart before she took her first step into her new life. She saw Ethel slip away and take her place by the other ladies maids as she walked down the aisle. She held her shoulders straight and kept her gaze forward like she had been taught, and her eyes caught on the prince, standing at the head of the aisle waiting for her. She kept her eyes on him as she walked the length of the hall and he gave her a soft smile when she finally made it to him, taking her hand and turning toward the officiant. The court record keeper was standing nearby with his book open on a stand in front of him, ready to note their marriage for future records. The officiant motioned for them to face each other and join hands, which they did quickly.

"We have gathered together today to celebrate the ancient rite of hand fasting, and the joining of two lives forever in the eyes of the gods." He spoke, his deep voice echoing around the room as he tied their hands together with a length of soft cloth. Their eyes met as he finished wrapping the cloth. "Do you consent to this marriage now and forever more?"

"Yes." She spoke softly. 

"Yes." The prince echoed.

They were still looking at each other when he started speaking once again. "I pronounce you man and wife, one heart, one soul, one flesh. Your futures are now joined forever."

The crowd began clapping and they turned to them together, their hands still tied. They were led from the room and into a smaller chamber off to the side and the King followed close behind, along with the officiant and the record keeper. The officiant unwound the length of cloth and put it into a box before leaving and the record keeper required them to sign the page he had been recording the proceedings in before he too left, leaving them with only the King. 

"Welcome to the family, Lady Elizabeth." He said and she inclined her head to him.

"Thank you, Your Grace." She said softly. He studied her for a long moment.

"You look just like your mother." He said and she glanced at him in surprise.

"You've met my mother?" She asked and he cocked his head to the side as he looked at her.

"Didn't you parents tell you? Your mother is from Eldervair. She grew up here, she only left when she married your father." He told her and she bit her lip.

"They never mentioned it." She admitted.glancing at her new husband, but he didn't seem to have know either, judging by the astonished look on his face.

"It doesn't really matter now." The king said as he looked at both of them. "We should get to the feast, it is being thrown in your honor." 

They once again found themselves at a feast, in the same place they were before, at the head of the room and Betty was listening to the soft music floating around the room. She glanced at her husband, he was speaking softly to his father giving her the opportunity to study him for a moment. He was very handsome, and now that she knew he was kind as well, it made him more attractive, but she was still nervous. She knew what would have to happen when they retired to their chambers and she was anxious about it. She had no idea what she was doing and she didn't want to disappoint her husband, she wondered if it would hurt. She had never lain with a man before but she had a basic understanding of what happened in the marriage bed, still she wasn't sure how it was actually supposed to work in practice.

She sook the thoughts out of her head when she noticed the small princess studying her from down the table. Their eyes met briefly, and she seemed to be trying to determine something about her. The deep, intelligent look in her eyes made Betty a little uncomfortable so she looked away and did her best to ignore her. Her eyes were drawn to the people dancing, just as they had been the night before when she had first seen them, and she absentmindedly chewed on a small piece of fruit as she studied their movements. They moved fluidly, like water had come to life in the shape of their bodies, as they floated around each other. She was so mesmerized by them that a small touch to her arm startled her. She jumped slightly and her heart began racing as she pressed her hand to her breast and turned to face her husband, who had an apologetic look on his face.

"I didn't mean to startle you, My Lady." He said and she blew out a breath.

"It's alright." She assured him and he studied her face for a moment before he nodded.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked with a soft smile. "I said I'd teach you."

"In front of all these people?" She asked with wide eyes. "I'll make a fool of myself."

"I highly doubt that." He said and she glanced at the people dancing before her eyes snapped back to him. He stood and held out his hand. "Trust me."

She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes flickering between his face and his outstretched hand, before she took a deep breath and nodded, sliding her hand into his. He led her to the middle of the floor and motioned to the musicians who began a relatively slow song. He moved slowly encouraging her to follow him but when she tried he smiled down at her with a soft laugh before stopping their movement and stepping away for a moment. He positioned her arms the way he wanted before he started moving them again, and again she tried to follow only to have him stop again. He didn't step away this time and she glanced up at him, realizing only then that she had been looking at their feet.

"Relax." He said softly. "You're holding your body to rigidly, let it go."

"This is how I was taught." She said. 

"I know, but you need to forget what you've been taught. Don't hold so much tension in your body, release it and let your body just move." He said and she took a deep breath and followed his instructions, letting the tension leave her form. She looked up at him and he nodded before he began moving again, and this time her body moved with him and they floated around the dance floor like she'd seen the others do. She had to keep reminding herself not to tense but he was smiling widely at her and she smiled back. He spun her around before pulling her back in and she giggled softly. 

They danced together for a long while before returning to the table to sit for a moment. The feast lasted well into the afternoon and early evening, before the King glanced at them and Betty knew it was time for them to retire from the feast. She took a few calming breaths as the prince stood before she joined him. The walk to their marriage chambers was quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts and she heard him take a deep breath before he pushed the doors open and allowed her to enter. The doors closed with a heavy thunk, cutting off the noise form the feast and leaving them staring at each other in complete silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Jughead was left staring at his bride in absolute silence. He could see by her posture and facial expression that she was nervous and he knew exactly how she felt. He cleared his throat and moved to the table to pour each of them a glass of wine, which she readily accepted when he handed it to her. They sipped slowly as the silence between them deepened and he wasn't really sure how to break it but thankfully she did it for him.

"You know what we're supposed to do, My Lord." She said quietly and he winced before turning to look at her.

"Please don't call me that." He said softly. "If we are going to do this, I don't want you to refer to me by my title."

"What should I call you then?" She asked. He moved closer to her and touched her shoulders lightly.

"Call me Jughead." He said and he saw the slight smile on her face.

"Jughead?" She asked and he sighed but he was smiling too.

"An unfortunate childhood nickname, but it stuck. It's what all of my closest friends call me, and seeing as you are my wife, it's only right that you call me by it as well." He said and she nodded.

"In that case, you can call me Betty." She said and he looked at her. "My mother hated it, said it made me sound to common, but I've always liked it."

"I think it's perfect." He said. She smiled at him before refilling their glasses. They sipped at them quietly until she seemed to take a deep breath and sit her glass down on the edge of the table. She turned away from him but he saw her hands working at the bows holding her gown together. He swallowed thickly and sat his glass next to hers as he moved closer, and the gown finally gave way. She glanced over her shoulder at him with a slight flush to her cheeks before she removed it from her shoulders and placed it over the back of the chair. She was still wearing her chemise as she turned to him but it did nothing to hide her figure and he took a deep breath and kept his gaze on her face as he moved toward her. 

He touched her face lightly before he took her hair out of the style she wore for the wedding and let it fall around her shoulders, framing her face as she looked up at him. His hand slid into her hair as he kissed her for the first time. She gasped softly against his lips before returning the kiss and her lips were soft an sweet against his, she tasted faintly of the wine they'd consumed and he pulled her closer with an arm around her waist. He could feel her pressed against him through their clothes and he pulled back. Her lips were wet and her eyes were glazed as she looked at him. He moved quickly to removed his robes and pull his shirt over his head before kicking off his shoes. She watched him for a long moment before stepping back another step and she bumped into the edge of the bed causing her to stumble lightly. He didn't move toward her, letting her move at her own pace and she stunned him by pushing the chemise off her shoulders and letting it drop the the floor leaving her completely exposed to him.

His eyes roamed over her hungrily. She was beautiful, her waist curved down to her full hips and her breast were round and perky. She wasn't looking at him as he observed her, instead looking down at her feet and he moved toward her. He lifted her chin with his hand and when their eyes met he gave her a soft smile.

"You're beautiful." He murmured softly placing a kiss gently on her lips. His hands landed on her waist, lifting her gently onto the bed and scooting her to the top where her head was propped by pillows. He saw the apprehension in her eyes and he touched her face lightly, running his thumb don her cheek in comfort. He kissed her softly before running his thumb over her nipple, which perked up in response as she let out a soft breath. He moved down her body, laying kisses on her skin as he moved before he ran his tongue around her nipple and she gasped lightly as she watched him with wide eyes. He spent a few minutes on her breasts before he moved his hand down to spread her legs giving him access to her. 

He moved his hand to touch her lightly gaining a in take of breath as her body jerked lightly in surprise. He looked up to meet her eyes as he began moving his hand and the moment he pushed a finger inside of her she pulled in a deep breath and bit her lip. He moved to lay a kiss against her neck as he began loosening her up, and he could feel her muscles jumping as he pumped his fingers in and out. He concentrated, trying to find that one spot deep inside her and he knew the moment he brushed it, because she pulled in a sharp breath and her hips began moving involuntarily. He smiled silently to himself, massaging over the spot as her breathing quickened and he pulled a low moan from her. 

He kissed her hard as she rocked her hips, bringing herself closer to the release he knew was coming. He put extra pressure on that spot inside of her and it only took a few moments for her to begin clenching around his fingers and her nails dug into his arm lightly where she was holding on to him. He moved back from her, pulling his fingers out slowly as he looked down at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked dazed as she stared up at him. He moved to take off his trousers leaving him completely naked to match her. He was already fully erect when he climbed back on the bed and she seemed to have come down from her high to look at him with wide eyes. She glanced down at him before looking up to meet his eyes and he could see the apprehension and slight fear in her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"I will never hurt you okay?" He said softly. "It's not as scary as it looks, everything will be okay. I'll go slow."

"Are you sure?" She asked glancing down again. He laughed slightly.

"I'm sure." He said. "Trust me."

"Okay." She said softly.

He moved to kiss her as he lined himself up. He entered her slowly until he was fully sheathed and she whimpered slightly. He stopped moving allowing her to adjust to him as he distracted her with kisses, and finally she wiggled her hips and he began moving. She pulled him close as she breathed heavily, and he snapped his hips forward bringing a moan from her lips. After a few minutes she became very vocal as their bodies rocked together and he bit his lip in concentration, trying to hit that spot once again but the feel of her around him made his brain go foggy and unfocused but she didn't see to be complaining so he didn't worry about it too much as he listened to the sounds she was making. 

He noticed a slight change in the pitch of her cries when he adjusted his body to hit her deeper so he kept the position as her breathing became ragged. He felt her nails dig into his back as she lifted her hip to meet his thrust and her breathing quickened as a high keening noise came from her moments before she clenched tight around him and her nails ran down his back. He cursed as he felt pressure building behind his belly button and his rhythm shuddered. He snapped his hips forward quickly chasing the release, and it came over him unexpectedly making him bury himself deep within her. His ears were ringing as she held him close and they breathed deeply together. It took him a moment to regain the ability to move, but when he did he moved off of her, pulling out gently and laying on the bed next to her. They took a moment to get their breathing under control before he turned to her. She was staring up at the canopy while slowing her breathing and he touched her face causing her to look over at him. She turned on her side facing him and he gave her a gentle smile.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked and she bit her lip.

"No." She answered back. "I'm okay."

"I meant what I said." He told her. "I won't ever hurt you. I want your life here to be a happy one."

"I know." She said softly. "I'm really okay though. Better than okay." 

He smiled at her. "That's good." 

"Have you...." She trailed off lowering her gaze from him. He touched her face making her look at him again.

"What?" He asked. She sighed.

"Have you done this before. Taken a woman to bed?" She asked a flush coming over her skin again. "You seemed to know what you were doing."

"I read a book." He said. She raised an eyebrow.

"A book?" She asked. She sounded skeptical which amused him and he grinned at her.

"Yes, my father gave it to me when he told me that I was to marry." He said. "I could show it to you if you want."

"Ladies aren't supposed to read about such things." She said and he shrugged the best he could laying down.

"Well now you're my lady, and I'm telling you that you can." He said. "I'll give it to you tomorrow. You can read it while I train."

"Okay." She said giving him a smile.

"Okay." He said softly, laying a gentle kiss on her forehead before sitting up to grab the blankets from the bottom of the bed. He laid the blankets over her before he got up from the bed to blow out the candles, leaving the room illuminated only by the fire in the corner of the room, which he added a few logs to for the night. When he climbed into the bed she was already yawning but she lifted the blankets allowing him to cover up and move close to her. Their bare skin touched reminding him that they were both naked but he disregarded that fact when she cuddled close to him and he found himself hopeful for his future. Betty was amazing, from what little he knew about her and he could see himself easily falling in love with her. For the first time, he found himself grateful for the arrangement in the name of peace because he had gotten her out of it. The future was looking bright for both the kingdom and their prince.


	6. Chapter 6

Betty woke the next morning to the sound of someone moving around the room, and when she realized that Jughead was still in bed next to her she sat up suddenly, her eyes roaming the room. Ethel was moving around and clearing things up from the night before and she gave Betty a small smile when she noticed her looking. Betty reached behind her and shook Jughead causing him to startle and sit up just as suddenly as she had, but he looked much more alert than she was sure she did. When he followed her gaze to Ethel he seemed to realize there was no immediate danger and relaxed slightly as she made her way over to them.

"My Lady, My Lord." She greeted politely, holding out a robe for Betty to put on but she just stared at her.

"What are you doing here so early Ethel?" She asked. Ethel glanced between them, seemingly just noticing their current state of undress, her cheeks flaming as she sat the robe on the edge of the bed and taking a step back.

"I apologize, I'll come back." She said and hurriedly left the room. Betty sighed and pulled the robe toward her, sliding it over her shoulders and pulling it around to cover herself before dropping the blanket back onto the bed and sliding off the edge onto the floor. She heard Jughead moving around behind her but she kept moving forward to sit on the chair in front of the mirror. She began brushing her hair and it wasn't long before Jughead appeared behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. She sat the brush back on the desk and turned in the chair to face him as he looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly and she gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine." She said. He studied her for a moment before he nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"I have to train with the knights today, but you can explore the castle if you want. No harm will come to you here." He said and she smiled.

"I know." She told him before she stood from the chair. He moved away from her, turning to the table in the middle of the room as he began to pull on the armor that must have been brought to the room sometime after they'd gone to sleep, seeing as it wasn't there the night before. She moved toward him and helped him fasten it to his body before stepping away. He crossed the room and grabbed something off a shelf, and when he turned back to her she saw that it was a book. 

"As promised." He said and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You were serious?" She asked and he laughed softly.

"Of course, My Lady." He said and she glanced down at the book in her hands. It was unassuming, with a plain cover and no title. 

"Are you sure you want me to read this?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Read it only if you want to princess, you do not have to but I am giving you the option so that you can make the decision yourself." He said and she nodded her eyes drifting back to the book.

"Thank you." She said softly. He tilted her face up to met his eyes and gave her a smile.

"If you want anything, My Lady, you only have to ask. I am not going to try to control you, you are a princess by birth and by marriage, you have a right to your own decisions." He said before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I must go and meet my men now, I encourage you to explore today. It s better to know the castle that you're living in.

He left quickly after that and Betty turned back to the mirror. As she was sitting in the chair brushing her hair, she began registering the soreness in her body that she had been to distracted to notice before. She was aching everywhere, but especially between her legs and it was just a reminder pf what had happened. She had been imagining it since she had been told she was to marry, even before she met her husband. She had thought she'd hate it, having to consummate a wedding she hadn't decided or asked for, but he had been gentle with her last night. He was a kind man, and he had made sure that she was okay every moment. She had been apprehensive of the marriage since she found out about it, but he was a decent man so she wasn't anymore. She knew that he would be kind to her and it gave her hope for the future, she could easily have ended up with a far worse husband.

She was lost in thought until Ethel re-entered the room and took the brush from her hand as a few other handmaidens started bringing pots of water into the room. Betty heard them pouring them into the tub, hidden around the corner of the room, while Ethel finished brushing through her hair. She winced when she stood after having been stationary for some time and her thighs began screaming. She knew that Ethel noticed but she said nothing as Betty hobbled toward the bath. Ethel sat out different scented oils and handed her a cloth as the last of the handmaidens used their water to fill the tub before leaving. Betty draped the cloth over the edge of the tub before she pulled the laces holding her robe together and let it fall to the floor. 

As she climbed in Ethel moved across the room to pull out a dress for the day ahead and Betty glanced around the room noting that many items that had been previously in her chambers were now here along with items that obviously belonged to Jughead. They must have been moved while they had been at the feast. She turned her head away from the room and closed her eyes as she soaked in the tub, and she could feel the pain easing in her body as she relaxed into the water. She stayed like that for a while before she wet the cloth and began to wash her skin, sighing as she ran the cloth over her face.

Ethel helped her clean her hair before she climbed out and dried herself, then she applied a nicely scented oil to her skin before getting dressed. Ethel had chosen a light purple dress for the day with flowers embroidered on the bodice. It fell around her frame nicely as she moved.

"What are your plans for the day, My Lady?" Ethel asked. Betty glanced at the table where she had sat the book when Jughead had left and she moved to pick it up.

"I'm going to read for a bit, I think, then I may explore the gardens a bit more in the daylight." She said softly. She crossed the room to sit on the chaise, positioned next to a window to allow the light to flow in. Ethel nodded and moved to resume her duties, cleaning the room and making the bed. Betty flipped the book open and began reading, it seemed to have separate chapters specifically for men and women. She was reading about how a woman could please her husband, and it was very detailed making Betty flush brightly even though there was no one around to see her and no way for them to know what she was even reading about without asking. It made Betty wonder who had wrote the book in the first place.

She pushed through the embarrassment and vague shame at reading something so scandalous, and tried to actually pay attention to the words she was reading. She did her best to absorb the information she was being given, but eventually she was squirming to much to actually pay attention, so she closed the book and placed it on the edge of the table. She decided to take a walk hoping to cool her cheeks and take her mind off the contents of the book. She walked down the hall, trying to remember the way to the garden but she was so distracted that she must have taken a wrong turn because she ended up on a balcony looking out onto the grounds of the castle. A group of knights were gathered on the grass, observing the men in the middle of the circle who were swinging swords at each other and she knew that one of the knights had to be her husband. She had inadvertently stumbled onto their training.

She leaned against the railing and watched as the fainted and parried, so absorbed in the movements that she almost missed the sound of footsteps approaching. She stood up straight again, maintaining proper body posture as she turned to the newcomer. Walking toward her was a beautiful girl, with jet black hair and dark eyes, wearing a blue dress. Betty knew from her posture and dress that she must be a highborn.

"My Lady." The girl greeted her with a slight incline of her head. "I'm Lady Veronica. I saw you here and wanted to introduce myself, I believe you've met my betrothed."

"Have I?' She asked politely and Veronica's eyes moved behind her to the field where the men were still training. 

"Sir Archie." She said and Betty nodded.

"Ah yes, I have met him. He seems to be a kind man." She said and Veronica smiled.

"He is. " She said, stepping closer to the railing so that she was beside Betty, looking out onto the field and Betty turned her attention back to them as well. "He is also very good friends with your husband, almost brothers you'd say, so I thought we'd be spending a lot of time together. Better to be friends."

"I suppose that's true." Betty agreed. She could tell that Veronica was being sincere in her attempt to make friends, which endeared her more to Betty. A lot of people wanted to get close to the princess because they expected something out of it, but Veronica was genuine and Betty was happy about that.

"I've known the prince my entire life, we grew up together, all three of us. He's a dear friend." She said and Betty glanced at her, meeting the eyes that were already looking at her. "You seem like a good person. I'm glad that he didn't end up marrying some annoying little bitch."

"Lady Veronica!" She exclaimed, shocked by her foul language but Veronica just smiled at her.

"I think you and I are going to get along just fine, My Lady." She said with a laugh and Betty couldn't help but join her, their laughter ringing out across the grounds.

"What does your betrothed think about your language?" She asked and Veronica gave an unladylike snort.

"He loves it." She said and glancing around at the knights stationed at the sides of the balcony, she leaned in. "Especially when we're in bed."

Betty's cheeks flamed causing Veronica to laugh again. "You speak so casually about it."

"You can do that with friends because they'll keep you're secrets." She said and smiled at Betty. "And I intend for us to be very good friends."

"I'd like that." Betty said.


	7. Chapter 7

Jughead had spent the day training with the knights and helping the newer ones learn the correct way to fight with a sword. After they'd spent a few hours training Jughead left them in the training grounds as the squires took their swords ad armor back to the armory to be cleaned. Archie followed him when he left and they ended up in the kitchens where the servants were happy to prepare each of them a plate filled with meat and bread. They began eating quietly, both tired from the training until Archie spoke up.

"So your wife is very beautiful." He said casually.

"Yes, she is." Jughead said looking at him.

"When I rode out to meet her group and guide them to the castle, she seemed to be kind as well. I know that your marriage was formed to seal a treaty but it could have been worse." Archie said, chewing on a piece of bread as he spoke.

"Yeah, I know but she is quite amazing actually. I didn't want to get married, but now that I've met her, I can see myself loving her one day." He told him and Archie smiled.

"I'm glad. You deserve someone who will love you Jug, and I think she will one day." Archie said quietly.

"Thanks Arch." Jughead said, touched by his friends kind words.

"By the way, Veronica told me she was going to speak to Lady Elizabeth today. She wants to be friends with her, and I thought it was a good idea." He said and Jughead nodded.

"It is a good idea. I want her to have friends here, besides me and her maid. I think it'll be good." He said.

They finished eating quickly and went their separate ways. Jughead headed back to his chambers where Dilton had set up at bath for him and he noticed that his wife was no where to be found and figured she was still out exploring the castle. He shrugged out of his dirty clothes and climbed into the bath, letting the water sooth his sore muscles as he relaxed into the tub. He cleaned himself slowly and savored his time in the bath until the water started going cold. When he climbed out of the bath he dried off quickly and got dressed in a fresh set of clothes before leaving the room again to visit his father, who was in the counsel room.

He stepped into the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the meeting taking place but his father quickly dismissed everyone, closing the doors as they left. Jughead greeted his father respectfully before they sat at the table together.

"How did it go with the princess?" His father asked and Jughead raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, and that's all I'm saying on the matter." He said quietly. His father nodded.

"I don't expect you to give me details, I just needed to know." He said, turning in his seat to face Jughead fully. "So you get along with her?"

"She's nice, sweet. Why do you ask?" Jughead asked meeting his father's eyes.

"Because son, I know that the marriage was to seal a treaty, but I want you to be happy. I hope that she can make you happy." He said sincerely and Jughead smiled slightly.

"I think she will. She's......well, I quite like her so that's good." He told him and his father smiled at him.

"Good." He said.

"Is that all you wanted to speak about?" Jughead asked, glancing around. "Is there something else I should know?"

"No, the counsel meeting was just to discuss taxes and other things like that." He said and Jughead nodded.

"Okay, well then I am going to track down my wife and make sure she hasn't gotten lost in her exploring." He said standing from the table to bid his father goodbye. 

As he left he started making a list of places in his head of where she could have gone and the first on his list was the garden that he'd taken her too the first night she'd come to the kingdom. His feet took him there without him really having to think and as he got close he heard female voices floating on the air. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he knew the cadence of one of the voices and he assumed the other must be his wife. He stepped around the corner and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Veronica sitting on the bench with Betty, but he got a little distracted looking at his wife that his feet stopped moving, leaving him frozen to the spot as he watched them.

She was ethereal in the sunlight and it occurred to him that he'd only really seen her at night, by the light of candles and the fireplace. Her hair shined with the light reflecting off of it giving her a honey colored glow, and the smile on her face lit up her entire being. He'd known she was beautiful, but seeing her like this made him want to keep the image of her in his mind forever to admire when he wanted. Veronica looked like a reflection of her contrasting with her dark hair and eyes, together making a balance in the scene. Their laughter floated over to him at the exact moment that Veronica noticed him as their eyes met and she raised an eyebrow, beckoning him over. This gesture caused Betty to turn her face to him, and seemingly breaking the spell as he found himself able to move again. He moved forward, only stopping when he was in front of them. Betty looked up at him with a shy smile that he returned quickly.

"Did you have a good day, My Lady?" He asked and her smile widened.

"A very good day actually." She said, glancing at Veronica. "I even made a new friend."

"I see that." He said inclining his head to Veronica. "Lady Veronica."

"My Lord." She said making the sarcasm in her voice almost visible, adding a little smirk to go with it as she stood. "I'm going to go and find Archie, I have a few things to discuss with him. If you'll excuse me."

She left swiftly with a dramatic fluttering of her dress as she walked away, leaving Betty and Jughead alone. Betty looked up at him with a soft expression and the smile on his face grew as he held out his arm for her to take.

"Care for a walk, My Lady?" He asked softly. She stood and linked her arm with his and he lead her out of the garden and into the courtyard. A couple of knights broke off from their guard posts at the castle and fell in behind them as he lead her further away and into the town surrounding the castle. Many of the citizens had booths set up to sell their wares and he watched as she looked around taking in the sights. The people were looking at them as they passed, excited to see the new princess, but none of them were brave enough to approach.

Betty pulled on his arm lightly leading him toward a stall that held fabrics of all colors and he was happy to follow her. She reached out to touch the fabric as she smiled at him and the elderly woman standing behind the stall was happy to show her the array of colors the fabric came in. She seemed particularly drawn to one that was a dark emerald green as she turned to him with a hopeful look.

"Could I get this?" She asked softly, with some strange emotion he couldn't place hiding it the question.

"Of course, My Lady. I told you, you've only but to ask." He told her before turning to the woman and asking for a length of the fabric before turning to Betty as she prepared it. "Do you want to have a dress made from it?"

"I'd love that." She said biting her lip as she furrowed her brow. "But would I be allowed to wear it?"

"Why would you not be allowed to wear it?" He asked confused and she looked up at him with a troubled expression.

"My mother says that bright colors aren't appropriate for people of high status, says it's reserved for whores." She said quietly, glancing around as if she didn't want anyone to hear. Jughead put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him fully.

"She's wrong." He said determinately. "Ladies in Eldervair dress in bright colors whenever they want. It's not improper or whatever she said it was. Besides, I think you'll look beautiful in it."

She smiled up at him and he returned it, touching her face lightly to reassure her before he turned back to the woman who was holding out the fabric for him to take. He paid her and turned to had the fabric to one of the knights to hold while they continued their walk. They'd only got a few steps when it happened, quicker than he could stop. A little boy, only about three, stumbled forward and grabbed onto the bottom of Betty's dress. One of the knights with them snatched him away, causing him to cry and Betty spun towards him with anger on her face.

"Put him down! He's just a child!" She demanded and the knight glanced at him before dropping the boy back to his feet on the ground. Betty knelt down and motioned him over and he happily stumbled back to her. Jughead watched in quite admiration as she spoke to him softly. "Hello, my love. You like my dress?"

The little boy nodded and she held out the fabric for him to touch, disregarding his dirty hands smearing dirt onto the fabric. He smiled and she ruffled his hair softly as a woman Jughead assumed to be the boys mother stepped forward slowly, keeping her eyes on the knights. Betty glanced up at her as she inched closer.

"I am so sorry. My Lady. He's only a boy, he doesn't know better." She said softly and Jughead watched as Betty shook her head and smiled at the woman kindly.

"It's not a problem, there was no harm done, he's just a curious little one. There's no need to apologize." She said standing as she spoke to her. "He's a very sweet child."

"Thank you, My Lady." She said softly, picking up her child and stepping back. Betty waved at the little boy before turning to Jughead and taking his arm again. He thought it was probably best to return to the castle for the time being so he began to lead her back down the path to the castle. They were quiet on the way back and Jughead told the knight carrying the fabric to take it to the seamstress and tell her to visit Lady Elizabeth tomorrow to begin on a dress. He nodded and left them quickly, leaving Jughead to dismiss the second knight that Betty kept giving dirty looks when she thought no one was looking.

They walked slowly as they approached their chambers and when they entered Ethel was already inside, readying things for Betty for the night. Betty left his side and made her way over to the chair in front of Ethel to sit. Ethel began to immediately take her hair down and run a brush through it. Jughead moved to stand next to the desk causing Betty to glance at him and he gave her a smile before leaning against the edge.

"Why did you do that?" He asked softly and she looked at him with confusion on her face.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"With the little boy. Most ladies would have been angry." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"It's just a little dirt. He was only curious, he shouldn't be punished for that, he's a child." She said meeting his eyes. "Besides, I believe in treating everyone the same. Just because they don't have money, or a title it doesn't make them any less that us. We had the good fortune to be born into important families, but a toss of the coin and our lives could have been completely different. We're all people, it shouldn't matter either way."

"I think that's an amazing way to look at it." Jughead admitted. "More people should think the way you do."

"It's just what I believe is right." She said quietly. Ethel stepped away, bowing to both of them before leaving the room. The door closed with a light thump and Jughead stepped away from the table to stand behind her.

"Do you need help?" He asked softly, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Their eyes met in the mirror before she stood from the chair slowly, keeping her back to him as she swept her hair out of the way. He took a deep breath before moving his hands to the strings lacing up her back. He pulled them slowly, unlacing it easily, as she shrugged it off her shoulders and pulled her arms through before letting it fall to the floor. She stepped out of it and picked it up putting it over the chair before she turned to face him. She surprised him by stepping closer and pulling him in for a soft kiss, his hands fell to her waist pulling her closer. She pulled away slightly to look at him.

"I read some in that book." She said softly and he looked at her with wide eyes.

"You did?" He asked, his voice coming out softer than he intended.

"I'd like to try something." She said, meeting his eyes for a moment before she dropped to her knees in front of him. She looked up at him form under her lashes as if asking for permission and Jughead was sure he must have been knocked out during training because there was no way this was actually happening. No way someone as perfect as her was in this position right now. She seemed to take his silence as agreement because she dropped her gaze as her hands moved to unlace his breeches. He was sure he wasn't breathing.


	8. Chapter 8

Betty was nervous and he stomach was twisted as she sat on her knees in front of him. She had read about it but she was terrified she'd mess up and he wouldn't like it, but she was determined to push through the nerves and give it a try so she unlaced his breeches quickly and glanced up at him for a moment before she pushed them down his legs and he helped her by lifting his feet so she could pull them all the way off. She took a deep breath before she sat up on her knees fully and took him into her hands. He looked bigger than he had before, now that she was seeing him up close but she wasn't going to back out now. 

She ran her hand down the length of him a few times as she went over words from the book in her head before she leaned forward and ran her tongue up the length of him. She heard his sharp intake of breath but didn't let it distract her as she swirled her tongue around the tip of him. She put one hand on his hip to keep him in place before she took him into her mouth, and he grew hard under her ministrations making it a little harder to take him fully into her mouth but she kept going. She used her tongue to trace the veins as she maintained a solid sucking motion. He quickly began making soft sounds and his hand got tangled in her hair as his hips began moving slowly. She pressed her hands into his hips as he moved and she glanced up at him from under her lashes. His eyes were closed as soft moans fell from his lips and she took that for approval of her technique. She redoubled her efforts moving her head faster as he thrust forward, but he pulled her off by her hair and dragged her up to her feet to press a kiss to her lips.

"I'm not finished with you yet." He said softly pulling her toward the bed as he yanked his shirt over his head. His hands found the edge of her chemise as she bumped into the bed, but she pushed him back slightly. He looked at her with a question on his face. "Are you alright?"

"There's something else I'd like to try, if I could." She asked and he looked at her for a long moment before he nodded. She pulled him to the bed and made him sit up propped on the pillows before she climbed onto it and put a knee on either side of his legs. He was watching every move she made as she kissed him softly before moving to lay kisses against his neck. When she got to the soft skin where his shoulder and neck met she ran her teeth across it softly causing him to shudder. She sucked a bruise into his skin before moving to kiss him again. During the kiss she reached between them and positioned him at her entrance before sinking down onto him, taking him into her fully causing them to both sigh into the kiss. 

She felt his hands land on her hips as he pulled her chemise up and over her head, giving him access to her breast which he put his mouth to immediately while she rocked her hips slowly adjusting to the feel of him so deeply inside of her. She found a rhythm quickly as she started moving her hips quicker, the pleasure running through her. Her head went back as she moaned and he placed kisses against her exposed neck. With every rock of her hips she could feel him behind her bellybutton and it hurt a little but also added to the pleasure. He helped her move with his hands on her hips and she changed her movements from rocking against him to bouncing in his lap and she felt his hips moving under her, thrusting up into her, their bodies melding together into one.

It didn't take long before the pressure began to build and her breathing was coming in heavy pants, punctuated by moans as the pressure spilled over and she felt her body clench around him. She was caught up in the waves of pleasure overtaking her, only distantly aware of his hands keeping her movements going. When she finally came down, her eyes heavily lidded, she began moving again helping him as his hands dug into her hips. She kissed him and bit down on his lip softly as she felt him sliding deep inside her and she made herself clench tightly around his as they moved together. His hand was back in her hair and he used it to tilt her head to the side as he trailed kisses across her skin. The moment he reached his climax, she could feel it deep inside her and he bit into her shoulder lightly. The little bit of pain pushed her over as her hips jerked against his, the wave of pleasure surprising her. It hadn't built up this time, just suddenly hitting her when she wasn't expecting it. 

As they held each other, letting their breathing slow down and their hearts to calm, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. They looked at each other for a long moment, their minds still hazy, before she slowly moved off of him to lay on the bed. He slid down from his spot and she rolled to lay her head on his chest, his arms went around her with no hesitation. They laid there together with his hand running through her hair, quietly catching their breath. She felt a slight ache behind her bellybutton when she moved but she didn't mind it much, a reminder of what they'd done.

No one in her family wanted to talk to her about sex, even when she was getting married with no knowledge of how it worked, but the people in Eldervair seemed more open about it. They weren't going to talk about it in public, but it didn't seem to be a taboo subject as it was in Riverdale. She couldn't imagine a book like the one he'd given her existing in Riverdale, her mother would probably burn it if she knew she was reading it, but she was glad to have it. Even though her cheeks burned when she was reading it, it had given her the idea to do what she ha done and he'd seemed to like it. The position they'd been in only minutes before was nice too, she liked that she could control the pace and the movements. She figured he didn't mind it either. Seemingly reading her thoughts his voice came soft a satiated.

"You learned all of that from the book today, huh?" He asked softly. She moved her head to look up at him and found him already looking.

"I read a few chapters." She told him. "I was always a good student, good at remembering things."

"Well, I approve." He said giving her a small smile. She bit her lip as she looked at him.

"Really?" She asked. "I was good at it?"

He moved slightly to look at her better and their eyes met. "Betty, you were....incredible."

"You called me by my name." She said softly. "You haven't before."

"You're my wife, and I want you to know that I'm serious. You were amazing." He said seriously. She smiled shyly.

"It seemed interesting when I read about it. I wanted to try, even if I wasn't very good at it." She said and he leaned forward to kiss her softly.

"You were good at it." He said, meeting her eyes. "You don't have to be afraid to ask for what you want, even here. We can try whatever you want."

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "Okay, then the same goes for you, anything you want to try."

"Deal." He said and she laughed softly.

"Deal." She agreed, before touching his face lightly. "Thank you, for giving me the book."

"You're welcome." He said seriously. 

They laid back down and she yawned, tired from their activities and he laughed quietly before pulling the blanket up over them. She wrapped it around her body securely before trowing an arm over his waist and cuddling closer to him. He pressed a kiss into the top of her head as he tightened his hold on her. She felt warm and content in his arms and for the first time since the wedding she thought that maybe she could love him. He had been nothing but kind and decent toward her. He actually cared, he had said he wanted her to have a good life here and she believed that he was genuine. 

One day she would be queen beside him. She had spent her whole life knowing that she'd never sit on the throne in her own kingdom and she'd been okay with that, but know she was expected to become a queen. It had been daunting to her when she'd been told about the marriage, and it had been in the back of her mind since she got to Eldervair but with him by her side the prospect didn't seem so scary. He was an honorable man and she could see him being a great king when the time came and she hoped that she could be a great queen as well. 

She laid awake beside him as his breathing became deep and even and she smiled when a soft snoring came from him. She was determined to be a good wife to him, but he didn't make it hard. She respected him deeply and she figured that was as good a place as any to start. There were worse relationships she could have ended up in, and she was happy to have ended up with someone who she knew would never even think of hurting her. She knew that one day, she'd give him children and she could already see them in her mind, beautiful little children with dark hair and light eyes. She drifted to sleep with the images she'd conjured implanted in her mind and a small smile on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Jughead woke early the next morning, making sure not to wake Betty as he slid out of the bed and got ready for the day. He had an early patrol so he left the room quietly to allow her more time to rest while he fulfilled his duties. Walking through the castle in the early morning meant he only passed servants and the knights stationed throughout the halls, the lords and ladies of the court still sleeping. When he got to the stables his horse was already ready for him with a young stable hand nervously leading him out. Jughead made sure to give the boy an encouraging smile before he mounted his horse and rode to the edge of the forest to meet the rest of the patrol, consisting of Archie, Sweet Pea and Fangs as well as a few others that he wasn't as familiar with. 

They led their horses into the woods in a group before he split them up to patrol different areas leaving him alone with Archie as they moved through the woods. The only sound between them being their steady breathing and the horses hooves hitting the ground. They spent a while patrolling the woods, keeping an eye out for anything out of place, occasionally passing travelers.They stopped when they came upon a man struggling with his cart that seemed to have dislodged a wheel. Jughead dismounted from his horse with Archie following quickly and tying their horses to a nearby tree before joining them.

"Do you need help?" Jughead asked politely. The man glanced at them nervously.

"I was taking my wares to the market to sell My Lord. My wagon lost a wheel." He explained and Jughead nodded.

"Right, well it doesn't look like the wheel is broken, only dislodged, so maybe we could help you fix it." He said and the man gave him a small shrug.

"I don't want to be any trouble, My Lord." He said.

"It's no trouble." Archie said. He proceeded to grab the wheel from the ground and hand it to the man before turning to Jughead. "We can just lift the wagon for you, and you and pop the wheel back on. It should work until you get to the market and can get it fixed by an expert." 

"Thank you, My Lords." He said graciously. Jughead moved to the back of the wagon where Archie was already standing and helped him lift the wagon, which was admittedly heavy. It didn't take long for the man to get the wheel back in place and they lowered it back to the ground easily. Jughead's eye caught on the cloth hanging from the edge of the wagon, and the sigil it bore and he looked at the man for a moment as he lifted it between his fingers.

"Where did you get this?" He asked. "It's quite elaborate stitching, very expensive."

"My daughter sewed it, My Lord. She is the princess of Riverdale's handmaiden, Lady Polly allows her to have leftover bits of fabric and thread when she gets new dresses made. She's very good at needlepoint, she works on them when she has time off." He explained and Jughead nodded.

"The Royal Sigil of Riverdale is quite well done. Your daughter must be very good indeed." He said and the man smiled at the praise.

"She's amazing." He said proudly.

"Right, well you should be getting on your way." Jughead said and the man bowed before climbing bad on his wagon and urging his horses forward. Jughead and Archie remounted their horses and set off in the other direction to finish their patrol and Archie gave him a look as they rode.

"Strange that his daughter works for the royal family of Riverdale, yet he comes to Eldervair to sell his wares." He said and Jughead sighed.

"Maybe his wares don't sell well in Riverdale, from what I know from my wife, the culture is very different there." He said and Archie shrugged.

"I guess." He said and Jughead looked over at him.

"What are you thinking?" He asked and Archie shrugged. 

"Nothing, it's probably paranoia from years of war, but I just think it's strange for him to come so far when there is a perfectly good market in Riverdale." Archie said looking over to meet Jughead's eyes. "It's a little suspicious but it's probably nothing. Maybe I'm just over thinking it."

"I'm sure it is nothing Archie. We've signed a treaty for peace, and sealed it with marriage. I know it's hard to let the battle mentality go but there isn't a war to fight anymore." He said and Archie nodded.

"You're right. Of course you are." He agreed. They lapsed back into silence after that as they rode until they made it to the edge of the forest and came out on top of a hill that looked down on the rest of Eldervair. They took a moment to rest as the observed the kingdom form the top before they turned around and began their patrol back to the castle. Nothing was out of the ordinary, there were no bandits or any other manner of threat so their patrol was easy and quick. 

As they rode back through the forest, the sun beaming down between the leaves of the trees over their head, Jughead took a moment to think about the last week of his life. So much had changed in the span of a few days, he had gotten married and his wife was not at all like he had expected. She was kind, and beautiful and he knew ,even just knowing her for a few days, that she would be a great queen one day. He couldn't help but be grateful tp his father for brokering the treaty with Riverdale, not only because it had ended a decades long war, but because it had brought her to him. He didn't love her yet, but even without love, he respected her and admired the warmth she had for other people. He knew that she would fit in with the people in his court perfectly after she got used to being here, and he couldn't wait to see her when she was relaxed around the others.

He was brought form his daydreaming by Archie stopping his horse next to him and clearing his throat causing Jughead to stop to and look at him. Archie looked nervous and slightly guilty which lead Jughead to be intrigued about what he was going to say.

"I can trust you to keep a secret right Jughead?" He said and Jughead gave him a look.

"You know you can Archie." He said sternly. "You know I'd never break your confidence."

"Right." He said softly before taking a deep breath and looking up to meet Jughead's eyes. "Veronica's father is insisting that we get married sooner than planned because he found out that we were having sex."

"Okay." He said softly. It's not like it was a secret to him that they hadn't been waiting for marriage so he knew that wasn't what this conversation was about. Archie bit his lip and sighed.

"We agreed to it because of something that he doesn't know, but I felt like I needed to tell you." He said. "Veronica's with child."

"Seriously?" Jughead asked, his head spinning with the information he'd just been told. If anyone found out, the consequences would not be great for either of them.

"Yeah." Archie said quietly. "I'm going to be a father."

"Well, as long as the wedding happens soon then no one needs to know. Your child will be legitimate." He said looking at Archie seriously. "I'll keep your secret Archie, you know I will." 

"Thank you Jug. Seriously." He said. Jughead nodded and patted him on the soldier.

"I guess congratulations are in order. A child, Arch. that's huge." He said with a small smile that Archie returned.

"Yeah, maybe you'll be graced with one soon too. An heir." He said and Jughead shrugged.

"Maybe." He said.

They set off again, each caught up in their own thoughts. An heir, it was an obvious thing, one that his father had mentioned when he proposed the marriage, but he hadn't thought about it in a concrete way before now. Archie was going to have a child with Veronica, and he'd obviously have a child with Betty but the possibility hadn't seemed real until that moment, He could picture it in his head, a child between them, a perfect blend of the two of them running around the castle with their giggles bouncing off the stone walls. He wanted that more than he'd realized. He knew that he needed an heir, but it was more than that, to have a child with Betty would be amazing. She was so kind and sweet with a low born child, that he could easily imagine what she'd be like with a child of her own. He was sure that it would be something amazing to behold.

the ride back to the castle was spent on utter silence, and it ended quicker than he had expected, lost in thought as he was. The young stable hand that he'd seem earlier in the morning came and took his horse as he dismounted and made his way back into the castle. He was wondering the halls in a daze, still caught up in the thoughts that had been conjured that he wasn't really paying attention and bumped into his sister as she was walking down the hall. It took him a moment to focus on her face as he apologized, and that was when he noticed that she wasn't walking alone, his wife was standing next to her. 

"Hi." She said softly and he smiled taking her hand and bringing it to his lips to lay a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"Hi." He answered back before his gaze landed on his sister. "Spending some time together?"

"Yeah. Lady Elizabeth is very nice, I like her." Jellybean said and Jughead laughed softly.

"Well, I'm glad that you do." He told her and she smiled. Betty ran her hand through her hair gently.

"You need to get going love, you have lessons." She reminded her softly. Jellybean pouted but turned to give her a hug.

"I'll see you later though?" She asked and Betty smiled.

"Of course." She answered. Jellybean nodded, appeased by her answer as she bounced off down the hall. Jughead turned back to his wife and raised an eyebrow.

"You won her over fairly quickly." He said and she laughed.

"I'm very likable you know." She said smiling at him. He smiled back.

"I'm aware." He said seriously. Their eyes met and he touched her face lightly. "I'm glad you're getting along with my sister, you're both very important to me."

"She's not hard to get along with. She's a sweet child." She said.

"Yeah, she is." He said. "But still, I'm glad that you're making an effort. This is your home, and I want you to be comfortable here. Especially around my family."

"I am, really." She assured him. "I like it here. I feel....much more free here, than I did in Riverdale. The people, the culture, it's just...it's amazing."

"Good." He said earnestly before he kissed her softly. "I'm glad that you're happy here."

"Me too." She said before she pulled away from him. "I told Lady Veronica that I'd meet her in the gardens."

"Alright. Go talk to her, I have to find my father and report to him about the patrol this morning." He said and she nodded as she squeezed his hand lightly, stepping away to continue down the hall. He watched her for a moment before turning and going the other direction toward the council chambers where he assumed his father would be. He was truly glad that she seemed to be finding her way in his kingdom and he knew that it meant well for their future.


	10. Chapter 10

Ethel woke Betty when the sun was already high in the sky and she stretched on the bed as Ethel laid out her breakfast. She dressed in a simple blue dress and ate breakfast as Ethel cleaned up the room around her, before she left the chambers. Finding the seamstresses chambers was simple enough with only a few directions form the knight stationed at the end of the hall and when she stepped in she was quickly ushered to the edge of the room. The seamstresses assistant stripped her down to her chemise and took her measurements, writing them out on a small strip of paper before allowing her to dress again. She was motioned over by the seamstress herself who proceeded to ask her questions about the gown she wanted made and if she wanted anything embroidered on it. They spent a while talking about what she wanted for the dress before the door opened quietly and the princess of Eldervair stepped in. Betty noticed her gaze fall on her for a moment before the assistant moved to her and drew her eyes away. Her handmaiden was with her and moved to sit as they spoke. Betty went back to speaking with the seamstress, quickly finishing up.

"There's more than enough fabric to create the dress you want, Princess." She said. "I'll begin on it right away."

"Thank you." Betty said standing from her seat. The princess looked at her again, as if the movement had drawn her eye.

"You're my brother's wife." She said softly. Betty gave her a gentle smile.

"That's right." She answered and the girl bit her lip.

"Do you love him?" She asked and Betty pursed her lips slightly, thinking of the best answer she could give to the small girl standing in front of her.

"Not yet." She told her honestly. "But I am very fond of him, which isn't so far off."

"So you will love him, one day?" She asked and Betty nodded.

"Of course." She said. The girl nodded.

"Good." She said simply. "He deserves to have someone love him."

"You're very intelligent, Princess." She said and the girl smiled.

"Really?" She asked and Betty nodded.

"Really." She assured her. The girl's eyes went to the table behind her where the seamstress had the fabric she'd picked out on the table.

"That's very pretty." She said.

"You like it?" She asked softly and she nodded. Betty glanced back at the table before looking at her again. "What are you here for? A new dress?"

"Yeah." She said. Betty bit her lip and looked at the seamstress.

"You said there is more than enough for a dress, implying that you'd have extra left over. Is that true?" She asked and the seamstress looked up at her.

"Yes, Princess. Is there something else you'd like made?" She asked and Betty glanced at the girl by her side.

"I want you to take a length of the cloth and make something for the princess." She said turning to look at her fully. "You can have them make you whatever you want with that fabric."

"Thank you." She said in an astonished, happy voice.

"Of course." She said smiling at her. "Would you like me to stay while you speak to the seamstress, them maybe we could spend some time together."

"Yeah, I'd like that." She said before she glanced at her maid and sighed. "But I have lessons after this."

"Okay, then we can spend some time together now and I'll walk you to your lessons later." She said. The girl smiled and led her back over to the table where she sat and the process started again. Betty noticed that the girl was very articulate about what she wanted for someone so young and it made her smile. The girl was very intelligent and Betty admired that in other people, and she was sure that as the girl grew that it would become much more obvious to others that she wasn't just some highborn elite with nothing in her head but gossip about others. She was glad that she'd be around to see that, even though she had just met this girl, she felt like they had a kinship. They were family by marriage but this went deeper than that, she reminded Betty of herself at that age and it made her smile.

Sometime after Veronica poked her head into the room before entering fully, apparently looking for Betty. They spoke quietly for a moment before Betty agreed to meet her in the gardens after taking Jellybean to her lessons. She was gone as quickly as she had come and Betty refocused on the conversation in front of her. Jellybean had decided to use the length of fabric she'd given her to make a sash to embellish the dress she was already having made. After that had been decided the meeting was over, the seamstress assuring both of them that she'd get started on their dresses quickly. Jellybean sent her handmaiden to the kitchens to grab her a snack for during her lessons and Betty walked with her down the halls quietly.

They'd only gotten a few halls over when Jughead, seemingly lost in thought bumped into his sister. They had a brief conversation before Jellybean left them alone to continue on to her lessons. She and Jughead shared a similarly brief conversation before he kissed her softly and they went their separate ways. Her lips tingled from the contact making her touch them lightly as she made her way to the gardens to meet with Veronica. She was sitting in the same place they always sat, next to the fountain. Betty joined her quietly and Veronica smiled as she stood and looped her arm through Betty's and led her further away form the castle. They were still in the garden but they were far enough away that the knights wouldn't be privy to their conversation if they happened to wonder past them.

"I'm getting married soon." Veronica said and Betty glanced at her.

"To your betrothed?" She asked. 

"Of course, who else?" She asked and Betty shrugged lightly.

"What's the rush, I thought you weren't to be married until later." She asked. Veronica bit her lip and glanced around as if making sure they were truly alone.

"Can I trust you?" She asked hesitantly and Betty took her hands and turned her to face her.

"You can trust me Veronica. I'd never tell anyone anything that you didn't want me to." She said honestly. Veronica blew out a breath and nodded.

"I'm pregnant." She said so softly Betty had to lean in to hear. The words took a few seconds to register before her eyes went wide and her eyes flicked down to Veronica's still flat stomach.

"That's...." She trailed off for a moment as she looked up to meet Veronica's eyes. She looked nervous and almost scared of Betty's reaction. "That's great Veronica. A baby, it's just....amazing."

"Really? You don't think I'm a whore?" She asked and Betty rolled her eyes.

"Of course not. You know who the father is, and you're going to marry him before anyone else knows about the situation so it doesn't really matter. This is amazing, truly. A child is a blessing." She said and Veronica smiled.

"I can't wait to hold my baby." She said quietly and Betty smiled.

"I'm so happy for you." She said.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. For not judging." She said and Betty bit her lip.

"Betty." She corrected and Veronica looked at her confused for a moment.

"Betty?" She asked. Betty nodded.

"It's what my friends call me." She said with a smile. Veronica returned it as she pulled her in for a hug.

"I like it." She said.

They spent the rest of the walk chatting about small inconsequential things, court gossip and the like. It was calming and made Betty happy that she had a friend here aside from Ethel. Ethel was a friend but she was sometimes to proper, as if she was afraid to say something to offend Betty. Veronica didn't care about that and just gave her honest opinion on everything, which Betty found refreshing. They didn't bring up the baby again while they talked but it wasn't like they were avoiding the subject, it just didn't come up. They spoke about the wedding and the festivities that would accompany it, it wouldn't be as grand of a feast as the one for her own wedding but it would still be grand. 

Veronica shared with her how excited she was for the wedding and to finally be considered his in the eyes of the gods, and the court. Betty was happy that she had found someone that she truly loved, and she hoped that one day she felt like that about her own husband. She had been honest with Jellybean when she'd spoken to her, she was fond of him but that wasn't love. She knew it wouldn't be hard to love him for the rest of her life, and she genuinely looked forward to having a child with him. She had seen him with his sister for only a short time, but she knew he'd be gentle with their child. She was confident that he would be a great father, and the image of a child who looked like him, smiling up at her made her heart flutter.

After their walk through the garden, she and Veronica parted ways. Betty made her way back to her chambers and was surprised to find Jughead already inside them. She had expected for him to be doing something else but she smiled at him when she entered. He was sitting at the desk in the corner sorting through some papers but he returned the smile easily. She approached the desk and leaned on the edge of it causing him to push his chair back to look at her.

"Everything alright?" She asked, glancing at the papers, some of which bore her family sigil.

"Everything's fine, just sorting through some things. Taxes and other boring things." He said and she raised an eyebrow.

"Taxes with my family insignia on them?" She asked casually. He sighed as he touched her leg through her dress lightly.

"That's just the treaty. I'm going over it, the rest of this is taxes." He said. 

"Why are you going over the treaty?" She asked and he moved until he was standing directly in front of her.

"My father bargained for the treaty, and I hadn't had a chance to go over it myself so I wanted to take a look. You're welcome to do the same." He said and she shrugged.

"That's okay, I trust you." She said and he smiled.

"I'm glad." He said as he slid his hand into her hair and brought her in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sank into the kiss fully. His hands went to her waist, pulling her into him and she sighed lightly into the kiss as their bodies pressed together. She ran her hands through his hair as he moved his lips to the spot behind her ear and sucked lightly causing tingles to run down her spine as heat pulled in her belly. She made a soft sound as his hand gripped her hip through the fabric of her dress. The knock on the door startled both of them, causing to pull away from each other slightly. "We're busy!"

"My Lord, the King requires your presence." A voice called through the door. Jughead sighed and gave her and apologetic look. She touched his face lightly.

"It's okay, go." She said. He kissed her softly before walking to the door and pulling it open. He left swiftly leaving her to gather her thoughts, and she sighed as she picked up the paper bearing her family sigil. Reading over the first few lines she realized he was telling the truth, it was the treaty with his family sigil nestled next to hers and she laid it back down. She did trust him, and this proved to her that she was right in doing so. He hadn't lied to her, when he easily could have and that gave her faith in their relationship. He did truly care about her.


	11. Chapter 11

Jughead got to his father's chambers quickly and closed the door behind him once he stepped in. His father was sitting at his desk and motioned him over to sit, which Jughead complied with. Once he was sitting in front of him his father folded his hands on the table in front of him and looked up to meet his eyes.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked.

"I had the salesman you encountered checked out. His wares are mediocre, Archie was right, he has no reason to travel so far just to sell them." He said before taking a deep breath. "It is suspicious but we have no reason as of now to suspect him of anything and we don't want to cause a conflict based on a bad feeling."

"Okay, so what are we going to do about him?" Jughead asked.

"Nothing for now. We don't want to act rashly, having salesmen come from Riverdale will be good for the economy. Part of the treaty covered trade among our kingdoms that will bring in more money for both, so I've set up some knights close to his stall to keep an eye on him. If he tries anything, we'll deal with it but for now we'll just keep an eye on him." He said and Jughead nodded.

"Alright, that's good." He said. "Is that all you needed?"

"It is. Just keeping you informed, you don't have to worry about anything happening to Lady Elizabeth, we'll take care of her. She's family now." He said and Jughead stood from the desk.

"I'm glad that she'll be protected." He said before inclining his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, she's waiting for me."

He left the room, reassured that the salesman was taken care of. He trusted the knights to keep him away from Betty and out of trouble. Archie had been right to be suspicious and Jughead was grateful that he had been with him. The salesman having the embroidered cloth had been strange but it hadn't set off any alarms for Jughead until Archie had spoken about the strangeness of his travel and he had been right. Jughead had taken his suspicions to his father as a precaution and was glad he had given the information that had been gathered. He wanted to keep Betty safe at any cost.

The walk back to his own chambers was spent lost in thought so when he stepped in he was surprised he'd gotten there so soon. The room was quiet and it didn't appear that Betty was there until he heard a quiet splash sound. He glanced to the corner of the room where the tub was hidden behind the wall and stepped toward it. When he came around the wall he saw Betty submerged into the tub, the water a milky white with a soft fragrance coming from it. She looked up when she heard him and smiled softly before reaching out for him.

"Join me." She said softly. He was quick to strip out of his clothes before he slid into the water behind her. He drew her into his body, her back pressing into his chest as she leaned back on him. He kept his hands on her waist as she sighed contentedly, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

"I'm okay, just thinking." She answered.

"About?" He asked.

"Children." She said simply and he was surprised for a moment as he took in the word, before he realized that she and Veronica were friends and she probably knew.

"Did Veronica tell you?" He asked. She smiled as she ran a hand down his arm under the water and linked their fingers together.

"She did." She said. "It got me thinking about us, about the children we'll have one day. I can already picture them."

"Me too." He told her honestly and she tensed against him.

"Really?" Her voice was full of surprise and made him smile.

"Really." He said. "They'll be amazing, I'm sure."

"Yeah." She said. 

They lapsed back into silence as she relaxed against him fully, letting go of the remaining tension in her shoulders. He pulled her tighter against him and laid a gentle kiss on her shoulder before pulling his hand from hers under the water and running it over her skin lightly. He let his hand trail further down her body, giving her a chance to say something if she didn't want it but she remained silent. He ran his fingers over her gently and she gasped softly but didn't move away from him. He ran his fingers along her entrance a few times until she let out a small frustrated noise that made him smile into her hair before he pushed a finger into her. Her hand gripped his arm as he began moving. She let out a soft moan as he added another finger, and her hips shifted slightly as if she was trying to keep herself from moving. He moved his other hand down to grip her hip, keeping her in place as her head fell back onto his shoulder.

The hand she had gripping his arm moved to the edge of the tub, as she looked for something to hold onto. He pumped his fingers in and out until her breathing went ragged before he pulled away suddenly. He took her waist in his hands and turned them until she was pressed into the edge of the tub where he had just been. He kissed her hard as he lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist before he pushed into her suddenly. She bit his lip lightly as her nails dug into his shoulders. He held her in place as he rocked his hips into her, her breath punching out of her in gasps. the water was splashing around them but neither paid it any attention as the chased a high. He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her in place before he reached a hand between them, his fingers pressing into that small bundle of nerves that made her let out the most delicious sounds. 

He moved his mouth to that spot behind her ear and sucked a bruise into the skin as she held him tightly. The sound of their ragged breathing and the splashing water filling the room,as he slowed his movements pressing in and out of her slowly, searching for that spot deep inside her. He knew he found it when her body jerked against him and she let out a low moan, and he ran himself over it in slow movements, dragging it out. She dug her fingers into him with each pass he made and whimpered needily as she dragged him down for a kiss. He kissed her back before he increased his movements again, slamming against that spot each time, until she pulled him close and let out a long low moan. He felt her tighten around him and knew she'd reached her climax so he rocked forward harshly chasing his own high. She sank her teeth into his shoulder urging him to continue, and it only took a few more strokes before he released, buried deep inside her.

They stayed locked together as they waited for their breathing to slow down. When he pulled out of her and let her back down into the water she brought him in for a kiss, which he returned, and when they pulled away their eyes met. Her eyes were heavy lidded but clear as she smiled at him and touched his face lightly. He kept her gaze as he smiled back before he kissed her again. They got out of the bath after a few minutes and he helped her dry off before they dressed in their night clothes and climbed into the bed. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and she looked up at him.

"Thank you, for not lying to me about the treaty." She said softly. He ran a hand through her hair as he looked at her.

"I'll never lie to you Betty. Relationships are built on trust, and I want you to trust me." He told her honestly.

"I do trust you." She said. "I know that you're a good man, honorable, so I do trust you to tell me the truth." 

"I'm glad that you trust me. I think that means a lot, for us, for the future. And I want you to know that I trust you too." He said and she smiled up at him.

"Good." She said before settling fully into him. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He fell asleep quickly, with images of Betty and children with her glowing green eyes floating around in his dreams. In that moment, something small shifted in their relationship bringing them one step closer to love.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning Betty woke up still wrapped in the arms of her husband. She pulled away from him slightly to sit up in the bed but her movements woke him up as well. She gave him an apologetic look but he just smiled at her before sitting up next to her and kissing her lightly. The moment was broken by the sound of the door opening causing them both to look, only to see Ethel coming into the room with a tray of breakfast. Betty slid to the edge of the bed to stand and come over to the table where she was sitting things up.

"Good morning Ethel." She said. Ethel looked up with a small smile.

"Good morning, My Lady." She said before she turned to acknowledge Jughead. "My Lord."

"Thank you for bringing our breakfast." She said and Ethel bowed slightly.

"Of course, My Lady. Is there anything else you require before I go back to my chores?" She asked and Betty shook her head.

"No thank you, Ethel. You may go." She said, finally sitting at the table. Ethel left swiftly, off to finish the rest of her work and Betty motioned for Jughead to sit next to her. The ate quietly for a moment before he looked at her and cleared his throat.

"How long has Ethel been your ladies maid?" He asked. Betty shrugged.

"Since we were girls. Her father passed away before she was born and her mother was a servant in the castle. As we grew, we began to spend quite a bit of time together so my father had her begin training to be my ladies maid. He thought it would be best to have someone that I was already friendly with, since we would be spending so much time together." She told him. He nodded as he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bread.

"And your sister, does she also have a ladies maid that she knew as a child?" He asked and Betty nodded.

"Yeah. Her ladies maid is called Ginger. They were friends similar to me and Ethel." She said, eating a piece of fruit as she studied his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." He said casually, before he stood from the table and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I need to meet the knights on the training field before they decide to do something stupid, and someone gets hurt. I'll see you later?"

"Of course." She said smiling at him. "I'll probably just spend today exploring some more."

"Okay." He said. "If you get lost, just ask one of the knights." 

"I will." She said. They shared one last kiss before he left and she finished her own breakfast before she got dressed and left the room herself.

She began her wondering by going back to the place she had observed the training the first time, and where she met Veronica. She looked out over the field and saw the knights standing around in a circle with Jughead in the center demonstrating some technique with the sword and she smiled. She watched for a while before she turned and continued her explorations. As she walked down the halls she found the kitchens, and the court physician's chambers which was helpful to know, but not really exciting so she kept moving. 

She wandered around the castle occasionally passing lords and ladies of the court who she spoke to politely, before she came onto a hall that seemed less traveled that others. She went down it curiously and found a set of stairs leading down, which she took and came out into a dark hallway lit only by the sconces on the walls. She glanced around before continuing down the hall, which ended abruptly by opening into a circular room with a statue in the center. She stepped closer to the statue and looked up at it, it depicted a woman with a sword tucked into the belt around her waist. She reached out to touch it, it was cold under her fingertips and her eyes fell to the crown on her head that she had missed. It looked intricate, like a serpent wrapped in a circle around her head and she knew immediately who it was meant to be. Jughead's mother, the queen of Eldervair, who had died years ago.

She stepped away and bowed to the statue respectfully before she backed out of the room quietly. She pun on her heel and began to make her way back to the staircase that would lead her out of the tomb and back into the inhabited part of the castle. She made it almost back to the staircase when a knight stepped in front of her, and she greeted him politely but he looked angry so she took a deep breath before speaking.

"I got turned around while I was exploring. If you could help me find my way back, that would be great." She said as he glared at her.

"You shouldn't be here." He said harshly. Betty's heart started beating faster but she wasn't going to back down.

"I'm sorry, but as I said I got turned around." She said. He scoffed.

"I don't mean the tomb, you stupid bitch, I mean you shouldn't be here in Eldervair. You shouldn't be our queen, you're just a foreign whore." He snapped and Betty glanced behind him to the stairs.

"If you let me go now, I won't tell my husband about this." She said and he grabbed her arms roughly enough that she knew it would bruise. He slammed her back against the wall and she let out an involuntary sound of hurt.

"You won't tell your husband, because if you do, I will kill you." He said. He was so close she could smell his breath and she struggled against his hold.

"Let me go." She snapped. He slammed her back against the wall again before he moved away slightly and she thought he was going to leave but instead he hit her before she could stop it and she fell to the floor. Her ears were ringing as pain bloomed on her cheek. She looked up at him before she scrambled backwards on the floor. She got to her feet quickly and spun toward the stairs. She got to them quickly and ascended them before he could get close to her again knowing he wouldn't follow her if she was close to the other knights. 

She made her way to her chambers quickly, avoiding everyone else in the halls and slammed the door behind her. Ethel was inside the room cleaning up and spun to look at her as she leaned against the door, and she rushed to her side when she saw her bleeding lip. She touched her face lightly observing the damage but Betty jerked away from her and stepped further into the room closer to the bed.

"Ethel, I need you to get my husband." She said. Ethel came closer again.

"My Lady, are you alright? What happened?" She asked and Betty spun to her.

"My husband Ethel. Now!" She exclaimed. Ethel looked at her for a long moment before she turned and left the room swiftly. Betty touched her cheek lightly and winced at the pain as she sunk onto the bed, the tears finally making an appearance. She had been threatened by a knight, did they all resent her for being foreign? She buried her face into her hands and began to cry in earnest. She had thought she was safe here, but maybe that wasn't entirely true.


	13. Chapter 13

Jughead joined the other knights on the training field with the knowledge of who Princess Polly's handmaiden was, so he would pass it along to his father and see if the salesman's story matched up. He wanted to protect Betty if the salesman had ulterior motives so he resolved to tell her about it when he got back to their chambers. He wanted to stay true to his word about never lying to her because he wanted to keep her trust. As he got to the field he saw that Archie had already began teaching the newer knights in his place and he thanked him before taking his place to demonstrate the correct way to hold a sword. After that they moved on to a mock fight, that he had Archie partner with him for, showing them how to feint and parry with an opponent.

After the demonstration he split them into pairs and had them work on it themselves, occasionally helping them sort out their footwork or hold, but otherwise observing from the sidelines with Archie. They were getting a hold on the movements slowly but surly and he was happy with the way things were going. Their training was progressing a little faster than he expected and that made him proud of their efforts. They were doing a little better than he had expected at this point which made it so much easier to teach them new things along with the rest of it.

"They're better than we were at this stage." Archie commented next him and Jughead turned to him.

"What are you talking about, I was great." He said sarcastically and Archie laughed.

"Yeah, great at falling on your face." He said. Jughead shoved him lightly but joined in his laughing.

"I've grown a lot since then." He said and Archie nodded.

"Yeah, we both have." He said. "It's strange, thinking back. We were just kids back then."

"Look at us now, with wives and babies. When did we get so old?" Jughead said. Archie shrugged.

"I don't know, I must have missed it." He said and Jughead smiled.

"It's not all bad though. Having Betty in my life is good for me I think, she makes me want to be better." He said and Archie glanced at him.

"Better? You're one of the best men I know." He said and Jughead shrugged.

"That may be true, but we can all improve." He said lost in thought. "She just thinks about things in a way that makes me want to think that way as well. She just so open and honest, in everything she does. It's admirable, is all."

"I haven't spent a lot of time with her, but Veronica seems to like her a lot." Archie said looking at him. "I'm glad you're happy. That she's a good person." 

"Me too." Jughead said. 

They went back to helping the knights correct their stances, letting the conversation trail off as they moved around the group. Jughead saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to the edge of the field where Ethel was running toward them. He moved away from the group and met her as she made it to the edge of the field.

"Ethel, is something wrong?" He asked and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Lady Elizabeth requires your presence urgently." She rushed out. He studied her face trying to figure out what was going on for only a moment before he spun back to the group.

"Archie, take my place." He said quickly and Archie nodded looking at them questioningly.

"I've got it, go." He assured him. Jughead made his way back into the castle quickly, not even bothering to wait for Ethel to catch up. The look on her face gave him a bad feeling and he made it to their chambers in record time. As he opened the door to the chamber he heard the soft sound of her crying which made his heart beat faster as he closed it behind him.

"Betty?" He said softly. She launched herself from the bed and into his arms before he could say anything else. He held her tightly, running a comforting hand through her hair as he waited for her to calm down. "It's okay, I'm right here."

She buried her face into her shoulder and he felt the tears wetting the collar of his shirt. He sighed and lifted her into his arms before sitting on the bed, keeping his hand running through her hair as he murmured assurances to her. He didn't know what had happened but if it had made her react like this he needed to know so he touched her shoulder lightly.

"What happened, love?" He asked quietly. She seemed to take a deep breath before she moved away from his shoulder. Her hair was covering her face so he used his hand to push it away and when he finally saw her he froze for a moment as anger ran through him. She had a bruise on the side of her face and he lip was split and had obviously been bleeding. He touched the bruise lightly and she flinched causing him to pull back as their eyes met. "Who did this?"

"I don't know." She said as she sniffled, the tears still glittering in her eyes. "He was a knight. He told me that I didn't deserve to become their queen, because I was just a foreign whore."

"I will kill him when I find him." He said, rage bubbling through his veins.

"He said he'd kill me if I told you." She said in a small voice. He pulled her close again.

"I won't let him touch you. I promise." He said quietly. He scooted further onto the bed, bringing her with him as he held her close. She buried her face into his neck again and her hand was holding onto the front of his shirt tightly' He laid a kiss onto the side of her head as they sat together.

They stayed like that for a long time before she seemed to calm down slightly and he was able to extract a description of the knight from her, lighting up recognition to him immediately but he didn't move away from her. He held her until she dropped off into sleep before he moved away from her slowly. He kissed her forehead and pulled the covers up over her before he left the room. He made sure to have two knights he trusted stationed outside the door with the instruction that no one but him be allowed in until they were told otherwise.

After making absolutely sure that she was safe, he made his way to his father's chambers and barely waited for permission before he burst in. His father looked up from the papers on his desk and something must have shown on Jughead's face because he set them aside immediately and stood as the door slammed closed behind him.

"Jughead.: He said cautiously. "What's wrong?"

"Betty's hurt." He said suddenly.

"Betty?" He asked and Jughead took a deep breath.

"My wife. She's hurt." He clarified and his father looked at him.

"What happened?" He asked and Jughead ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"She was exploring and a knight attacked her." He explained. "She's supposed to be safe here. I told her she'd be safe here."

"Who was it? We'll deal with him." He said sternly.

"She didn't know who he was but after she calmed down, I was able to get a description from her and I'm pretty sure I know who it was." He said. "Where the hell is Tall Boy?"

His father looked at him for a long moment. Tall boy was his own personal guard, which they were both very aware of. "You're sure it was him?"

"From what she said. yeah I am." He said. His father nodded.

"He's gone to get something for me, should be back any second." He said. Jughead nodded. They only had to wait a few minutes before the door opened again, allowing him into the chambers. He stopped suddenly when he noticed Jughed standing next to his father. He looked between them for a moment before he spun on his heal and tried to run. "Seize him."

The knights stationed outside the door moved quickly and had him on his knees on the floor in record time. Jughead and his father stepped over to him and Jughead glared down at him.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?" He asked.

"She's nothing but a foreign whore. The people will never follow her." He spat and Jughead took a step toward him without thinking. His father grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Take him to the dungeons, he'll await a trial there." He said and they dragged him away. Jughead spun to face his father.

"A trial?!" He exclaimed. "He threatened her."

"Exactly. Don't you think she has a right to say her piece as well?" He asked and Jughead drew back and took a deep breath.

"You're right. She does, but he doesn't deserve mercy." He said.

"And he won't get it, but this is only right. Everyone gets a trial, regardless of the crime. You know that, it's one of our most important laws." He said and Jughead nodded.

"I know." He conceded. His father touched his shoulder lightly.

"Now go, I'm sure she needs you now." He said and Jughead nodded again.

He made his way back to his chambers, letting the anger go for the moment. There was plenty of time to be angry later but his father was right, she needed him right now. When he stepped into the room she was still sleeping so he moved to her and shook her shoulder lightly. When she stirred he helped her remove her dress so she would be more comfortable before the undressed and slid in behind her. She went back to sleep easily, tucked into him. He buried his nose in her hair, taking in the sweet scent of her, helping to calm the lingering anger in his mind as he relaxed. She was soft pressed into him, vulnerable in a way he hadn't thought about before. He knew what Tall Boy had said wasn't true, the people would follow her because she was kind and she cared about them but he wondered if she knew that. He took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts out of his head for now and just focused on the feel of her in his arms. He cared about her more than he had realized himself and he didn't ever want anything bad to happen to her again.


	14. Chapter 14

Betty woke with the sun still high in the sky, streaming through the windows. The side of her face was aching and she groaned as she sat up in the bed, Jughead's arm sliding from around her waist. She touched her fingers to her face gently, trying to assess the damage. It hurt if she pressed on it but it wasn't as bad as when it had first happened. She jumped slightly when Jughead's hand touched her back as he sat up next to her and he gave her a gentle smile as he pulled her hand away from her face. He pressed a light kiss to her cheek before his eyes trailed down to her arms where bruises wrapped around them. He ran a hand over them lightly before he pulled her into his chest.

"I know who hurt you, and it's been taken care of. He's in the dungeons." He said softly and she pulled back slightly to look at him.

"Thank you for telling me." She said and he bit his lip as he looked at her.

"I want you to know that what he said isn't true. You will be queen one day, and the people are going to love you. They already do." He said and she sighed.

"I know." She said truthfully. "I had a moment of doubt but I know they respect me."

"Good." He said before meeting her eyes. "Now I need to tell you that the knight who attacked you will be getting a trial. We know he's guilty, but a trial is a right all citizen's of Eldervair have."

"I understand. When will the trial be?" She asked. 

"Soon. Tonight." He said and she nodded.

"I want to be there." She told him and he nodded.

"Of course, that's why I told you." He said as he studied her face. He cupped the uninjured side of her face in his hand as he looked at her seriously. "I am so sorry this happened. I told you that you were safe here and then you got hurt. I never meant for this to happen."

"I know." She assured him, laying a soft kiss on his lips. "This isn't your fault, I know that." 

"I will make sure that nothing like this happens again Betty, I swear it." He said and she smiled.

"I trust you." She said before slipping out of his hold and standing from the bed. He followed her as she redressed in her gown and he followed her lead by getting dressed himself. She held her arm out for him and he came over to her. "Let's go for a walk."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" He asked quietly, eyeing her face and she shrugged.

"It's not just going to suddenly go away and I can't hide in our chambers until it does so a walk sounds nice." She said. He nodded and led her from the room. 

They walked quietly down the halls until they reached the courtyard, avoiding the questioning eyes. She saw them glance from her injury to her husband and back again, but no one spoke up. It wasn't their business and she knew that even if he had been the one to give it to her they wouldn't have intervened but she wasn't going to stop and explain. They would know soon enough what had happened so she ignored it and kept a firm hold on his arm. The sun was shining down, warm and pleasant and it made her smile. She steered him toward the town surrounding the castle and back to the market they'd visited when she got the fabric for her dress to peruse the stalls. 

He stayed next to her as she looked around at the various offerings, and she was drawn to a stall where an old woman sat. There was jewelry laid out on the counter, obviously homemade with small colorful stones and pieces of metal that looked as if they'd been discarded by a smith as he worked. She ran her fingers over the stones, taking in the simplicity of the jewelry as she smiled at the woman.

"These are very interesting." She said and the woman returned her smile.

"Yes, My Lady. I use only natural materials to make them. I think having a piece of the earth with you keeps you grounded. I believe the stones have special properties." She explained at Betty glanced down at the jewelry.

"And the metal?" She asked and the woman shrugged.

"Metal comes form the earth as well, before they melt it down to make weapons of destruction. Certain metals have healing properties within them." She said and Betty nodded.

"It makes sense." She said before picking up a bracelet from the table and trying it on her wrist. The bits of metal had been smoothed along the edges to prevent injury and it sparkled in the sun. She felt a calming energy come over her and she looked up at the woman who had a sparkle in her eye as she watched her."How much for this?"

"No charge Princess. It belongs with you." She said softly and Betty shook her head.

"I couldn't possibly accept this. Allow me to pay you." She insisted but the woman gave her a small smile.

"It's alright, take it. May it bring you good fortune." She said and Betty thanked her as she stepped away from the stall. Jughead took her hand and observed the bracelet for a moment before smiling at her.

"I like it." He said and she smiled.

"Me too." She said. They continued down the road to look at the other sales and her eye caught on the same little boy she'd seen her first time here. She smiled and waved at him, he returned the smile with an even bigger wave of his own. She giggled softly as she passed him and she saw Jughead smile softly out of the corner of her eye. The people seemed happy to see them and eager to make conversation, so she greeted each of them politely as she observed what they were selling, and she realized that Jughead had been right. The people already cared about her and she shouldn't have worried about what one man said to her.

She put him out of her mind as she interacted with the people listening to their stories and explanations as they eagerly showed her their wares until they got close to the end of the market and a cloth hanging on the edge of a stall caught her attention. It was a dark blue cloth with a golden rose embroidered on it, her family sigil easily recognizable and she moved toward it without conscious thought. She lifted the fabric in her hand as she looked at it closely and she was so distracted by the design that the hand that wrapped around her wrist startled her so much she let out a soft squeak. She was pulled further toward the stall before suddenly a knight appeared in front of her at the same time she felt Jughead touch her shoulder.

"Let her go." The knight demanded. The hand released her immediately.

"I'm sorry, I just need to speak to the Princess." A voice came from the other side of the stall and she looked up suddenly at the man in front of her, recognition lighting in her eyes.

"Lord Blossom?" She asked in confusion.

"Lord?" Jughead voice came from behind her. Lord Blossom's eyes flickered to him before once again landing on her.

"I need to speak to you." He said. Jughead pulled her to him and stepped in front of her.

"You will speak to her when I deam it appropriate, after you've explained why you lied to me." He said before turning to the knights on either side of him. "Take him to the castle. Keep him confined to a room until we've had a chance to speak to him."

"Right away, My Lord." He said. They took him away quickly and Betty looked at Jughead.

"He lied to you? When?" She asked.

"I meant to tell you, but then you got hurt and it slipped my mind." He said. "We encountered him on a patrol, he said that he was a salesman from Riverdale and when I asked about that cloth he said that his daughter worked as a handmaiden for your sister. Obviously all of that was a lie, so I want to know why he didn't just tell the truth." 

"I want to be there when you speak to him." She said and he bit his lip. She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him. "I know him, and he said he wanted to talk to me specifically. I want to know why."

"Okay." He said and she looked at him.

"Okay?" She asked. He smiled.

"I admit you're right. You should be there, so let's get back to the castle and see what he wants." He said. 

They made their way back through the market and to the castle. Jughead led her down a hall with a set of doors at the end of it, which he knocked on and waited for permission to enter. A voice came from the inside allowing them entrance and when they stepped in she noticed that it was the King's chambers. He was standing by the window, looking out but turned when they entered and she was quick to bow respectfully. He came over to her and lifted her chin with his hand as he observed the bruise on her cheek for a moment.

"Are you alright Lady Elizabeth." He asked gently and she nodded,

"I'm okay, thank you for asking Your Grace." She said.

"The man who hurt you will be taken care of, I assure you." He said and she nodded again.

"I know." She answered. 

Jughead jumped into the conversation then and explained the situation with Lord Blossom and she was surprised when the King blew out a breath and rolled his eyes, muttering about never getting a break before following them out of the room. They stepped to the side allowing him to take the led as was proper as they walked toward the room he was being kept in. The knights from the town were stationed on each side of the door and allowed them to enter before closing the door behind them. 

Lord Blossom was standing in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back as he turned to face them. She noticed his gaze linger on her face and the bruises laid there before trailing over the other occupants of the room. He bowed to each of them in turn before greeting them respectfully and Betty took a moment to study him. The last time she had seen him had been the day she left Riverdale and he looked much older than he had then, even though it had only been a few weeks before and she wondered if something had happened to make him look this way.

He stepped toward her and Jughead moved to block him causing him to stop suddenly, and Betty looked at him for a long moment before she touched Jughead's arm lightly. He glanced at her for a moment before moving back to his spot next to her.

"So Lord Blossom, why did you come to Eldervair disguised as a salesman when you easily could have come to the court to speak to me?" She asked and he glanced at the men on either side of her before he sighed.

"I'm looking for my daughter. I thought that if I spent time in the town, I might overhear something about her whereabouts but there's been nothing. You knew her, so I thought that maybe she was sending correspondence to you." He explained and Betty raised an eyebrow.

"The last I heard you'd disowned your daughter because of who she chose to love." She said. 

"It's not natural!" He exclaimed. "If I could get her back, I could make her see that. I've already set up a match for her, she'll see that it's the right thing."

"She's not here." She said sure. "You're right Lord Blossom, I knew Cheryl, we were friends, and she was many things but stupid was not one of them."

"What are you talking about?" He demanded.

"She ran away. She wouldn't have just come to Eldervair, where she could have easily been identified and returned to you. I'm thinking she would have avoided cities, so she probably in hiding in some small rural area, or she bought passage on a boat and sailed somewhere far away from here. You won't find her." She said.

"I will." He seemed sure and Betty had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"You won't. Not unless she wants you too." She told him. "You should go back to Riverdale, and forget about her. She isn't coming back."

"Your brother said she'd be here." He said.

"My brother is an idiot." She said simply. "What would he know about her?"

"He and she are of the same...." He glanced at the men again. "The same perverse persuasion, he knows more about the way she thinks."

"I highly doubt that." She said. "Take my advice, go home."

"What would your father think if I told him you were being hurt here? I'm sure the treaty wouldn't matter to much to him then." He said.

"Are you making a threat, Lord Blossom?" The King spoke next to her.

"I'll write to my father and explain the situation Lord Blossom. My husband would never think of hurting me, and you have no idea what you're talking about. I could also mention that you have been less than hospitable to me, what do you think my father would think of that?" She asked casually. "I'm sure it would do wonders for your reputation in the court, it won't even matter that your son is married to my sister then."

She stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he'd call her bluff but he backed off and bowed to each of them once again.

"I understand, My Lady. I'll be on my way." He said.

"Make sure not to linger in Eldervair, Lord Blossom." She said as he exited the room. He didn't reply as he continued down the hall behind her. They stood there for a moment before she took a deep breath and turned to look at them. "So, we have a trial to deal with."

"Are you sure he won't say anything to your father? I don't want anything to jeopardize the treaty." The king said and she shook her head.

"I will send a letter to my father, but I don't think he'll say anything anyway. Lord Blossom has always liked to cause trouble, but never anything so big as a war." She assured them. :If he does try to cause a problem, my father will believe me over him anyway. They never liked each other."

"Okay." He nodded and straightened his shoulders. "You're right, we have a trial to deal with."


	15. Chapter 15

Jughead and Betty were standing to the side of the throne on a raised dais, having agreed that Jellybean didn't need to be present. He saw the wide eyed look that Archie had shot him when he'd seen Betty but he hadn't had a chance to address it as the lords and ladies flooded into the throne room. After everyone had settled his father had welcomed them and explained why they were here and who was on trial before sending a few knights to bring him up from the dungeons. It didn't take long for them to return with him and the forced him to his knees in front of them.

"You're here because you hurt the princess, do you deny it?" His father said from his side. Tall boy looked up at them with a dark glare.

"No I do not." He said before his eyes went to Betty. "She's nothing but a foreign whore who has no right to be standing here. She has no right to rule over Eldervair."

"You seem to be the only one who thinks so." His father commented. "She is a princess, and you hurt her. Threatened to kill her. That's treason."

"She's nothing to me." He spat. 

"You don't get to decide that." His father said before Betty stepped away from him and down the steps of the dais, bringing her closer to him. Jughead balled his hand into a fist to keep himself from reaching for her as Tall boy stood to face her. He saw the knights step closer, ready to intervene if needed.

"I am a princess by birth, I am the wife of your prince and I will one day be your queen." She said pacing in front of him and he could hear the anger behind the words. "What are you? A man who has to abuse women to make himself feel better? You're weak, and a coward. You. Are. Nothing."

He saw the movement but before he could call out to warn her, Betty had spun and yanked the sword from Archie's belt, who had been standing at the edge of the crowd and spun it in an arc stopping the movement of the sword that Tall boy had grabbed. The sound of metal on metal rang through the room as a flurry of movement erupted around them. Jughead was already halfway to her when she maneuvered the sword in her hands to shove him away. She swung the sword out to catch his movements a second time before the knights got into place to disarm him. 

Once they got the sword from him Betty stumbled back slightly and Jughead moved the rest of the way to her and caught her in his arms. She was careful to not let the sword touch him as he hugged her to him. Archie stepped up next to them and she handed the sword over before hugging him more firmly. The knights had Tall Boy back on his knees, but they didn't move away from him this time as Jughead brought her back to the dais beside his father who had stood from his throne when the commotion had begun.

"I demand a trial by combat, as is my right." Tall Boy said and everyone turned to look at him. He had a self satisfied smirk on his face that made Jughead want to hit him. 

"Fine." His father said. "Pick a champion."

"I'll be my own champion." He said before his eyes came back to Betty. "Better pick your champion wisely Princess."

He spat the last word like it was an insult. Betty squeezed his hand harshly and he knew she was angry as they knights pulled Tall Boy out of them room and back to the dungeons. Jughead knew logically that they'd have to wait until at least the next day for the trial by combat to take place considering the sun had long set. The lords and ladies left the throne room leaving them with only his father and Archie and Veronica who had stayed behind, as well as the knights that lined the walls. Betty turned to him immediately.

"You're not going to be my champion." She said and he felt hurt erupt in him at the words. She must have sensed it because she touched his face lightly and gave him a soft smile before explaining. "You're the heir to Eldervair, it's not a risk that we can take."

"I understand." He said, and he did even if it annoyed him that he wouldn't be able to put Tall Boy in his place. "It's logical."

"Let me be your champion." Archie said stepping closer to them and Betty spun to look at him.

"Absolutely not. You have a child on the way." She snapped. 

"Exactly." Veronica echoed her sentiment.

"You have to pick someone." His father said behind them and Betty glanced at him as she bit her lip.

"I know." She said. A knight stepped away from the wall and came over to them, Jughead recognized him immediately but didn't say anything as he watched him kneel in front of Betty.

"My Lady, if you'd allow me, I'll be your champion." He said looking up at her before glancing at Jughead and Archie. "I have no throne to inherit, or child to worry about, and I've been looking for a reason to knock Tall Boy on his ass."

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Sweet Pea, My Lady." He said and she studied him for a moment.

"Can you fight?" She asked.

"He's one of our best." Jughead said from her side as he watched their interactions. She nodded as she looked at him.

"Alright then. You will be my champion." She said and Sweet Pea stood to bow to her respectfully. She gave him a small smile before she touched his shoulder. "Do me a favor out there and don't die."

"I don't plan on it My Lady." He said.

"Good." She said before she turned to leave the room. Jughead followed behind her with Archie and Veronica trailing along as well. When they got out of the throne room, Veronica dispensed with propriety and moved to walk in front of Jughead next to Betty. She looped an arm through the other girls and Jughead saw Betty smiled fully at her as she leaned into her and he was glad that she had a real friend here. He and Archie fell behind the girls slightly and Archie looked at him for a moment.

"That's quite a bruise she's got." He said quietly. Jughead nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed." He said and Archie sighed.

"That's not what I meant." He said. "It's just, he gave her that but she still didn't back down in court. She told him exactly what she thought of him. That's an admirable quality."

"She's stronger than most people I know." He told him honestly. "People overlook her strength because it isn't a physical kind, but I know it's there. She's kind of amazing."

"Do you love her?" Archie asked, looking at him seriously. Jughead bit his lip as his eyes went to her a few paces ahead with Veronica.

"Not yet, but it isn't far off. She's easy to love, I guess." He said. Archie nodded.

"I get that. She is quite a force to be reckoned with." He said before he smiled at Jughead. "She'll make a hell of a queen someday." 

"Yeah, she will." Jughead agreed a soft smile crossing his face. They lapsed into silence as they walked behind the girls, who had stopped in the hall outside their chambers. Jughead was happy to see the smile on Betty's face as she talked to Veronica, her soft laughter trailing to him. They stopped as the reached them and Betty hugged Veronica tightly before she turned to open the door and enter their chambers. He followed her after saying goodbye to his friends and she walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and pulled out a piece of paper and a quill.

He moved to the desk and stood behind her as he laid a gentle kiss in the top of her head. She smiled up at him as she began writing out a note, he could read the words over her shoulder and realized that she was writing home to her father like she had said she would. He squeezed her shoulders lightly before he stepped away to give her privacy to finish the letter as he stripped down to his night close. Even with the impromptu nap in the middle of the day, he found that he was tired.

The sound of her quill scratching along the paper was soothing as he laid on the bed and it didn't take long before the sound stopped and she set the paper to the side to be sent in the morning. He watched as she sat at the vanity and ran a brush through her hair before she unlaced her dress and slipped it off before joining him on the bed. The bruise on her cheek was dark against her pale skin and he ran his thumb over it gently before kissing it softly. She pulled his hand away and laced her fingers through his as she gave him a small smile.

"Stop blaming yourself. I'm okay, it'll fade." She said softly.

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place." He said and she signed as she brought his hand up to her lips.

"I don't want to dwell on it. I'm fine, we're dealing with it. I know that I'm safe here, for the most part, which is great." She said looking up to meet his eyes. "There is always going to be people who disagree with our choices, or with the choice your father made to seal the treaty, but it doesn't matter. I'll be okay, you have to trust that."

"Okay." He said softly. He knew that she was right, some people would always disagree but they'd just have to deal with it. He knew that most people who disagreed wouldn't go so far as to harm her like Tall Boy had and he took a small comfort in that knowledge. She shifted in his arms causing him to look at her again.

"When I was exploring I came upon a tomb, your mother's." She said softly and he took a deep breath as he pulled her closer.

"She was a fierce woman." He said.

"The statue of her had a sword." She said and he smiled a little.

"Yeah. She carried her own." He said remembering her. "She told my father that she wasn't going to wait for some man to save her, so she'd do it herself."

"Sounds like my kind of girl." She commented and he laughed.

"I think you would have like her." He said. Betty shifted again to look at him.

"You know I learned how to use a sword when I was younger." She said and he looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded.

"My father let me take lessons in private. My mother disapproved of it, said it was unladylike but he didn't care." She said smiling softly as she traced patterns into his wrist. "I haven't had a chance to practice in a while, but I always liked it. Made me feel powerful."

"I can get you a sword if you want." He said and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded.

"I could even teach you a few things if you wanted." He said. She sat up suddenly and pulled him in for a kiss. He made a noise of surprise at the sudden movement but let himself sink into the kiss until she pulled back.

"Thank you." She said sincerely.

"You don't need to thank me, I think I'd do just about anything if you asked me." He said and their eyes met. Emotions he couldn't read flew through her eyes until she pulled him in again. He kissed her deeply, putting everything into it. They spent a few minutes just kissing until she pulled back again and cuddled firmly into his side. They fell asleep not long after, with thoughts of the other running through their heads.


	16. Chapter 16

Betty woke early the next morning and slipped out of the bed carefully, not waking Jughead as she dressed. She had told Ethel to start coming later in the morning, so as to not catch them in a compromising position as she was known to do. She glanced back at the bed to make sure he was still asleep before slipping out the door quietly. The knights stationed outside glanced at her as she left but neither said anything as she began down the hall following the path they'd taken only yesterday. She stopped outside the doors to the King's chamber and knocked quietly, waiting for permission before she entered.

When she came in she saw the surprise on his face when he noticed who had entered but he motioned for her to sit anyway and she complied. She wrung her hands in her lap, trying to think of the best way to approach the subject she wanted to discuss, but he waited patiently for her to speak. He gave her an encouraging smile and she blew out a breath before she began speaking.

"I wanted to speak to you privately, Your Grace." She said simply and he nodded.

"You can speak freely here Princess." He assured her and she nodded.

"It occurred to me last night that I may have let something slip, about Lady Veronica and Sir Archie." She explained and he smiled again.

"About their child, yes. You don't need to worry, I already knew." He said and she glanced at him in surprise.

"You did?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes. I've know them since they were children, and I'm not blind. They'll be married before anyone knows so I'm not going to make a fuss about it." He said and she bit her lip as she looked at him.

"So you're not going to tell Lady Veronica's parents about their....indiscretion?" She asked. He chuckled lightly.

"Not hardly, My Lady." He said before he leaned toward her. "Between you and me, I can't stand Lord Lodge. He's arrogant and petty."

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him." She told him.

"I'm sure you will eventually." He said before he glanced to the door behind her. "You don't need to worry about your friends, I won't say anything, but you should probably be getting back. Jug will be awake soon and looking for you."

"How do you know he wasn't awake when I left him?" She asked and he laughed again.

"I raised that boy, I know how he is in the mornings." He said giving her a smile. "Off you go. You need to prepare for the trial." 

"I'm not the one fighting." She said as she stood.

"No, but you are the one everyone will be looking at." He said and she nodded, thanking him before leaving the room and making her way back down the halls to her own chambers. When she stepped in and closed the door behind her, she noticed Jughead sitting up on the bed. Their eyes met and he had a question on his face.

"I was speaking to your father." She explained with out him having to ask a question. He got off the bed and came over to her to place a small kiss on her lips and as he pulled back she smiled before running her hands through his hair. It was sticking up in different directions, and he looked much younger as he sat at the table in front of her. She pulled away from him for a moment to grab a comb off the vanity before coming back to him. She ran the comb through his hair gently as his arms wrapped around her waist and his face pressed into her stomach. When she had finished she leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back from her slightly so she could see his face. "You should probably get dressed before Ethel brings breakfast."

"As you wish, My Lady." He said, a soft smile on his face. He stood from the chair and ran a hand over the bruise on her cheek and following it with a kiss before he turned toward the wardrobe. She watched as he got dressed and pulled the cloak over his shoulders, displaying the sigil of Eldervair. She smiled when he came back to her with his sword tucked into his belt, and she touched the hilt lightly.

"I want one like this." She said quietly, admiring the polished metal.

"I'll get you one, don't worry." He said with a smile. She pulled him down for a kiss that was quickly interrupted by Ethel finally appearing with their breakfast. She pulled back with a small sigh and he laughed quietly as they moved to the table to sit. Ethel served each of them before moving around the room to clear things up. It didn't take her long as they were generally clean, and usually put their own things away when they finished with them. She picked up the basket holding their laundry before leaving quietly. Betty noticed her pause by the door and look at them strangely, probably due to them not speaking to each other as they ate but she ignored her and she soon left the room completely.

Betty chewed on a chunk of bread as she began to think about the day ahead of them. She hoped that Sweet Pea could win, she certainly didn't want him to die for her. Jughead said he was one of their best fighters, but Tall Boy wasn't a small person and it worried her. She wasn't so much worried about Tall Boy winning and trying to hurt her again, as much as she was about someone getting hurt for her when she barely knew them. Sweet Pea had said he was looking for a reason to do something to Tall Boy, but if he got hurt she knew she would feel responsible for it. As if he could sense her worry, Jughead reached over the table and took her hand in his.

"You don't need to worry Betty. Sweet Pea's good." He said and she looked at him.

"Maybe, but Tall Boy is huge." She said. Jughead shrugged.

"That can be a disadvantage in a fight. He may have a longer reach than Sweet Pea, but his size also makes him slow. He won't be able to redirect as quickly, and Sweet Pea knows how to get at peoples weak spots. I know he'll win." He said and she sighed.

"You can't be sure of that." She said. He ran a thumb over her knuckles.

"Nothing in life is sure Betty, but I'm confident in him. We trained together, he's strong and quick, he'll make it." He assured her and she studied his face for a moment. His expression was open and honest and she nodded.

"Okay." She said quietly.

"Okay." He repeated before he stood and offered her his hand. "Shall we?"

She took his hand and stood, linking her arm with his as they left their chambers and walked down the hall. They passed people on their way who were quick to move out of their way even though they were all going in the same general direction. They made it outside to the courtyard and he led her through the crowd and down to the stands surrounding a large field. She knew it was where tournaments and melees would be held, but for today it would act as a stage for the trial by combat. He led her passed the stands to one of the tents standing at the edge of the field and when they entered she realized that it was where Sweet Pea was readying for the fight.

She stood close to the entrance as she watched another knight help him into his armor and Jughead moved to him and spoke quietly. She took a deep breath before stepping up to join them making Sweet Pea glance at her and incline his head in greeting. Neither of them spoke for a long moment as they took in one another and she blew out a breath before speaking.

"Be careful out there." She said. He smiled at her.

"Don't worry Princess, I'll win." He said and she sighed as she shook her head.

"That's not what I'm worried about." She said meeting his eyes. "I don't want you, or anyone, to die for me."

"You're a princess, it's our job to die for you." The knight next to him said.

"I never asked for that." She said. Sweet Pea took her hand in his.

"You don't have to ask. We'd die for you, not only because it's our duty, but because you are someone worth fighting for. You care about the people, regardless of their title or lack of one. You are kind, and just, and we believe you will be a fair ruler." He said looking at her seriously. "He's wrong. People don't care that you're not from Eldervair, they see who you are and what you'll become, and that, My Lady, is something worth fighting for."

She looked at him for a long moment, absorbing the words he'd said and as she glanced at the other knight she could tell from his expression that he echoed the statement. They were willing to fight for her, she could see that they thought of her as their princess even though she'd just married in to the family. They cared about her without obligation to the crown, they cared about her based on who she was as a person and nothing else and it meant more to her than she thought possible.

"Thank you, Sweet Pea." She said softly. 

"Of course." He said. 

She spent a few more minutes with him before she and Jughead left the tent and made their way to the stands that were already full of spectators. They joined the King in the section reserved for royalty, he was already seated in the throne like chair placed there, and they took the slightly smaller seats off to the side of him. As they joined him, he announced for the champions to take their places on the field, which they did quickly. Sweet Pea looked small next to Tall Boy, even though she knew he was a head taller than she was. The king stood from his chair and everyone went quite as they turned to look at him.

"This is a trial by combat. Each party has selected a champion to fight in their place, the outcome of the fight will determine the ruling in the case. Whoever's champion is left standing will be considered the winner in the case. This is a fight to the death, as is the law. Let it commence." His voice carried to the people on the field and they turned toward each other.

As their swords collided, the sound of metal ringing throughout the arena set Betty's nerves on edge. She knew she had to maintain a calm image as the people would be looking to her but she felt like she was holding her breath to keep her from screaming. Jughead laid a calming hand on hers, unseen by the spectators but doing wonders to keep her a least a little calm. She watched as they parried and tested each other's defenses, looking for a way to break through and she took a few deep breaths as she did. 

Sweet Pea seemed to be dancing on the air, almost like his feet weren't even touching the ground as he blocked each attempt to get to him, bouncing back each time Tall Boy got close. He twirled his sword in his hand, in a fluid motion before he darted forward swinging it hard into Tall Boys side causing him to stumble off center before he moved back quickly out of reach. Tall Boys armor was slightly dented where the sword had made contact but not enough to cause any real problems. She gasped when Sweet Pea's foot slipped in the mud and Tall Boy managed to get a hit in before he righted himself and got back from him. 

Sweet Pea was dancing along the edge of Tall Boys reach, and Betty couldn't see his face under his helmet but his body language said he was looking for any weakness. She turned her gaze on Tall Boy to study his body language and stance. He was standing side faced like he was supposed to but his arms were in an awkward position as he held the sword. He seemed to be concentrating so hard on getting to Sweet Pea that he wasn't maintaining his stance, as they were dropping slightly leaving him vulnerable. In the position he was now, he wouldn't be able to move his sword fast enough to block a blow to his legs, which weren't protected by the heavy armor he wore. Sweet Pea seemed to notice the weakness at the same moment she did because he moved, quick as a snake, swinging his sword quickly across Tall Boys thigh. Tall Boys sword blocked the very end of the attack but wasn't quick enough to stop the worst of the damage as she had suspected.

Blood was spewing out of his leg to stain the ground around him as he fell. He was off guard, in pain as he was, that Sweet Pea was easily able to disarm him, sending his sword flying to the side. Betty was gripping the edges of her chair as he lifted his sword and swung it down, slicing cleanly through his neck, causing blood to spray in an arc and Betty's eyes went wide as Sweet Pea stepped away from the body falling to the ground. He turned to them and pulled off his helmet before bowing to them. They roaring cheers of the crowd rang in her ears as she finally began breathing again.

She stood from the chair and spun to Jughead who joined her by getting to his feet. He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug that she returned breathing in the scent of him to comfort herself. She was no stranger to bloodshed, having grown up in a time of war, but seeing it up close as she had was still a bit much. Jughead quickly led her away from the crowd, seeming to sense her emotions without her having to voice them and they ended up back in the tent that they'd seen Sweet Pea in. It was only a few moments before he joined them himself, and he came up top her and knelt in front of her as he had done when he asked to be her champion. He pulled the sword from his belt, cleaned of the blood she knew had been on it, and held it up to her, both hands flat.

"For you, My Lady." He said and she glanced at Jughead. He shrugged.

"You said you wanted one like mine. The knights all have them, they're made in the royal forge. I spoke to Sweet Pea before he went out there and he agreed that you should have it." He said and she glanced back at Sweet Pea with wide eyes. 

"Don't you need it?" She asked. He smiled up at her with a slight shrug that made him look like a sheepish child.

"I have others." He said and she raised an eyebrow looking between them, still unsure whether she should take it. He seemed to sense her hesitation as he spoke again. "I used this sword to defend you, My Lady. It's only right that you take it now, so that you may defend yourself next time."

She bit her lip as she reached out to take it from him. It was lighter than she had expected, and she smiled as she tested the balance. She was so distracted by admiring the sword that she gasped when Jughead touched her waist with his hand. She glanced at him and realized he was fastening a belt around her waist with a sheath for the sword and she smiled at him before sliding the sword into it smoothly and turning to cup his face with her hands. She brought him down for a chaste kiss given that they were in the company of others, and when he pulled back he had a smile on his face.

"Thank you for the sword." She said softly. "And you as well Sweet Pea."

"Of course, My Lady." He said looking at them. She smiled at him.

"And thank you, for being my champion." She said. He nodded politely before Jughead tugged her out of the tent. They ran into Veronica and Archie on the way back to the castle, and she noticed their eyes drop to the sword at her side but neither if them mentioned it as they walked with them. It had been a long day, and it wasn't even over with yet but Betty was glad she had these people in her life. When she'd first learned that she was going to be married to Eldervair's Prince she had protested, and cried and even begged her father to change his mind, but now she didn't know what she'd do without him, without them in her life. She was so much more free here than she had been in Riverdale, free to be who she wanted, and she was grateful for the treaty and the deal her father had struck with the King of Eldervair.


	17. Chapter 17

Waking up the day after the trial with Betty cuddled into his side made Jughead smile even before he opened his eyes to see her. He moved slightly to brush her hair back from her face and she made a small soft sound before opening her eyes to look at him, a smile crossing her lips when she saw he was awake. 

"Good morning." He said softly. She moved away from him to sit up on the bed.

"Good morning." She said back as he joined her in a seated position. He laid a gentle kiss on her shoulder before resting his chin and she smiled again as she looked at him.

"So I was thinking that I could show you a few things today, since you have a sword now." He said and she nodded.

"I'd like that." She said kissing him on the cheek before sliding off the bed and making her way to the wardrobe to get dressed. He stayed on the bed for a little while longer, just watching as she moved around the room. After she had put her dress on, she moved to the vanity and began brushing through her hair and he finally stood from the bed and came over to stand behind her. He took the brush from her hand and helped her finish, running his fingers through her hair after the brush. When he'd finished he bent over to set the brush back on the desk in front of her and she turned her head to him before cupping his face in her hands and kissing him softly.

He relished in the feeling of her lips on his for a moment before he pulled back and begun getting dressed himself. It didn't take him long to change into his clothes, but in the time it took him she had strapped the sword to her side and was waiting for him by the table. He noticed the food laid out and realized that Ethel must have come earlier when they were still asleep. They each took a few things from the table and wrapped them in a linen cloth for later before he led her out of the room.

It was quite in the halls as he led her through them and into a large room that usually served as a banquet room when they held celebrations and he turned to face her as they made it to the center of the room. She raised an eyebrow at him as he pulled his sword from it's sheath before she quickly mirrored his position. They circled each other, and he was studying her body language, waiting for her to move. She had decent form, but as she had told him, she learned to sword fight when she was younger, meaning she probably hadn't had much practice recently. It was evident in the way she held herself that she was trained, but out of practice, meaning when she finally did move he easily blocked her.

She swung her sword skillfully as they disengaged and she tried to break through his defenses. The sound of metal hitting metal rang throughout the room as they parried and he took note of the way she always led with her right foot. He tried to unbalance her by changing the direction of his attack but she didn't let it effect her as she bounced back from him as she corrected her movements, keeping him at bay. Out of practice though she may be he could tell that she was good, would be even better after a little more training. 

As their swords connected again, he saw an opportunity to disarm her and he took it. He stepped forward as their swords were still locked together and twisted his wrist on the hilt slightly causing both swords to move and she lost her grip on the hilt of her own. It fell to the ground and he swung his sword quickly toward her and pressed it lightly against her stomach.

"I win." He said casually and she pouted at him as he moved away.

"Okay, so maybe I'm a little out of practice." She said petulantly. He laughed softly as he picked up her sword and handed it to her.

"You were good. A little more training and I think you could beat me." He said and she gave him a look.

"I highly doubt that. You told me Sweet pea was one of your best fighters, and Archie told me you were better than him so I know I probably couldn't beat you." She said and he shrugged.

"Well, you might be able to beat Archie then." He said before touching her face, their eyes meeting. "I'm serious, you're good. Better than some of the knights I know and they're fully trained."

"You think so?" She asked, her cheeks becoming a bright pink. He smiled and kissed her quickly.

"I know so." He said before stepping back. "Now, let's try again."

They took their places again and began again, only this time he corrected her form and movements before continuing and she took his advice. They moved around the floor in an almost dance, but much more lethal. This time around, she took his corrections and managed to disarm him, but only because he had let himself be distracted by a figure in the corner of his eye, standing at the edge of the floor. His sword hitting the floor rang through the room, accompanied by the sound of clapping and he turned fully to see his little sister with a smile on her face.

Betty stepped away from him and sheathed her sword before striding toward the girl and he grabbed his sword from the ground to follow after her. When he made it to their side Betty was smiling at JB as she darted over to hug her.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have lessons?" He asked, trying to be stern but not quite managing it as he watched them. JB shrugged as she looked at him.

"No lessons today. I did so well yesterday that I got to take a break." She said and he smiled.

"Brilliant are you?" He asked and she nodded with a big smile before turning to Betty.

"You're learning sword fighting?" She asked and Betty nodded.

"I actually learned when I was your age, but I thought i'd get some practice in." She told her and JB turned to him with wide pleading eyes so quickly she almost tripped on the edge of her dress.

"Can I learn? I could be just like mother." She said, a pleading tone in her eyes. Jughead sighed as Betty raised an eyebrow over her head.

"You'd have to speak to father about it." He said, trying to dodge the question. Betty laid a hand on JB's shoulder.

"I could teach her." She said and JB nodded glancing up at her.

"You'd still need to talk to my father." He said and JB turned to her, grasping at her hands.

"Please teach me Betty." She said, almost whining and Betty glanced at him before kneeling in front of the excited little girl.

"How about you let me speak to your father, convince him to let you learn, then I'll teach you." She said and JB quickly wrapped her arms around her neck. He watched as Betty happily returned the hug, with a soft smile on her face. 

"Thank you so much." She said and Betty laughed softly.

"Of course." She said and JB finally released her and she stood, taking her hand and pulling her over to him. "What do you say we spend the day together?" 

"We could go for a ride." JB said and Betty turned to Jughead. He smiled at each of them in turn.

"Alright. We'll go for a ride." He said and turned to leave the room. They trailed after him happily to the stables and the young stable hand he'd seen working before his patrol was there. He readied their horses for them quickly and Jughead helped his sister mount her horse before he turned to Betty to assist her. He finally mounted his own horse and they set off on a ride through the woods surrounding the castle. They stopped when they came to a lake at the edge of the forest and while he was tying to horses up, Betty led JB to the edge of the water and they sat together. 

He joined them not interrupting the conversation they were having as he pulled out the food they'd packed earlier in the day. There wasn't much because they hadn't planned on coming for a ride today but they split what they had and ate it while they made small talk and his sister asked Betty what seemed like a thousand questions about when she was growing up and sword fighting, which she answered patiently. They spent a little while at the lake before Jughead decided it was probably best to be getting back. 

The ride back to the castle was spent listening to his wife and sister chattering together, and he it made him smile that they got along so well. He'd known that JB was apprehensive about his wife before they even got married, or before either of them had met her but she seemed to warm up to her quickly. Betty was kind a sweet with his sister and he was glad that JB seemed to like her a lot. They were arguably the two most important women in his life and it was good that they got along so well. He didn't know what Betty had done to make JB like her so much, but he figured that it was just something about her, you couldn't help but like her. She was friendly and sweet with everyone, but she had a fire beneath it all that he knew would make her a great queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have a slight time jump, only about two months.


	18. Chapter 18

It had been two months since Betty had come to Eldervair and married Jughead, and it almost felt like she had always been there. It felt more like home to her that Riverdale ever had and she took comfort in that, to her it meant that this is where she was supposed to be. She loved Eldervair, the people, the culture, all of it. It was vibrant and beautiful and she was extremely grateful that she got to call it home. She and Veronica had gotten closer, ad Betty now called Veronica her best friend. Veronica and Archie had gotten married without her parents ever finding out that she was pregnant and now that her belly was growing steadily everyone was excited about the baby.

They were walking through the garden, something they did everyday, and Veronica's hand was resting on her belly. Ethel was trailing behind them as they walked and they made an effort to include her in the conversation, which she happily joined when she had something to say. Veronica turned to Betty with a grin and she knew that whatever she said next was either going to be dirty or embarrassing, or possibly both and was proven correct when she spoke.

"So you've been married for a couple of months now. How's the sex?" She asked and Betty's cheeks flamed as Ethel missed a step and let out a squeak behind them. She glanced around to make sure they were out of earshot of anyone before she gave her a look.

"You can't just ask me that." She said. Veronica rolled her eyes.

"I tell you about me and Archie." She stated.

"That's different. My husband happens to be your prince, I can't just gossip about his sex life." She said and Veronica shrugged.

"Why not? Everyone else does." She said and Betty rolled her eyes. "Besides, you know I'd never say anything."

"I know." Betty admitted. Veronica pulled her over to a circle of chairs and they sat down, Veronica looking at her expectantly.

"So?" She asked and Betty blushed as she bit her lip. She studied their faces in turn before sighing.

"He's gentle with me. Always makes sure to treat me like a lady, but...." She trailed off, embarrassed.

"But sometimes you wish he'd just fuck you." Ethel piped up and they both turned rapidly to look at her with their mouths hanging open. She blushed under their gaze until Veronica recovered next to her and smirked.

"Ethel Muggs, who knew you had it in you." She said and Betty rolled her eyes.

"She's not exactly wrong though. When he's gentle with me, it's great, but I wish sometimes that he'd stop treating me like such a lady." She said and Veronica looked at her.

"So, make him." She said and Betty looked at her with wide eyes.

"Seriously?" She asked and Veronica shrugged.

"Go in there and tell him what you want, or better yet show him." She said.

"How do you expect me to do that?" She asked and Veronica rolled her eyes.

"Approach him, shove him onto a bed and take what you want. Trust me, he won't mind." She said with a grin. Betty studied her face for a moment.

"You're absolutely right." She said. "That's what I'll do."

What are you ladies talking about?" The voice came from behind them, startling all three of them. Betty let out an extremely undignified squeal and Veronica practically jumped out of her seat. Ethel had jumped slightly but hadn't had quite as embarrassing a reaction, as either of them. Betty stood and spun to face Jughead who was grinning at them and Veronica steeped up next to her.

"We weren't talking about anything." She said and Betty gave her a look because, even if she hadn't been there she would have been able to tell she was lying. Jughead raised an eyebrow but didn't press for further information.

"The tournament is about to start. I thought I'd fetch you ladies and escort you to the stands." He said and Betty looked at him.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for the joust?" She asked and he gave he a small smile.

"I'm up second, I've got time." He said before holding his arm out for her to take, which she did. Veronica and Ethel fell into step behind them as they made their way down to the stands, where they split off to take their seats. Jughead led her past the stands and into the tent set up for him to get ready in, before turning to her and kissing her softly. She glanced around the tent, noticing that it was empty.

"Where's Dilton? Isn't he supposed to be helping you get your armor on?" She asked and he smiled.

"I sent him to get something so that I could have a moment with my wife." He said and she smiled up at him. He ran his hand along the cloth enclosing her. "I like the dress. The color looks nice on you." 

She was wearing the dress that she'd had made from the emerald green cloth she'd found at the market. It had been finished a while ago but she had wanted to save it for the tournament, because she liked it so much and she was glad that he seemed to agree with the sentiment.

"I thought it went well with the necklace you gave me." She said, grasping it in her fingers. It was the necklace he'd given her before they'd even met, that she'd worn the day they got married. His eyes dropped to the pendant for a moment before coming back up to hers.

"It goes perfect with it." He said softly, placing another kiss on her lips. "Are you going to give me your token of affection, My Lady?"

She smiled before she pulled out a piece of cloth the same color of her dress, left over after the dress had been made. She tied it around his wrist and followed it with a kiss placed on the pulse point before running her hand through his hair and pulling him down for a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him as they lost themselves in the kiss. She pulled away when she heard the flap of the tent open, and glanced over to see Dilton standing by the opening. He looked awkward from interrupting them, and she turned back to Jughead with a soft smile, cupping his face in her hands.

"Be careful out there." She said and he pushed her hair back behind her ear.

"I'll be careful. I promise." He said and she nodded.

"Good." She stated before she turned around and left. Dilton bowed to her as she passed him and she gave him a small smile. She made her way from the tent to take her place in the stands where the King and JB were already sitting. She took the seat next to JB and the tournament started. First up was the melee and all the men fighting stepped onto the field.

Once the King declared it was time to begin, it devolved into a mess of bodies and swinging weapons. She winced when she saw a war hammer make contact with a knights side, he went down and was quickly dragged off the field. She knew he'd bee sore in the morning, especially with the force of the hit. The roaring sound of the crowd was almost enough to drown out the sound of metal on metal coming from the field. The melee didn't last for half as long as she thought it would, people getting knocked out fairly quickly by whoever was wielding the war hammer. She could tell that even though he was trying to win, he was also trying not to injure anyone too badly as he swung it around. Finally it was just him and a knight wielding a sword, which he made quick work of, simply knocking the sword from his hands and knocking him away from it.

The people in the stands cheered loudly for him as he turned toward their seats and bowed. The King pulled out a bag full of gold coins, the prize money for winning the melee and tossed it to him. He caught it without missing a beat and Betty was sure she let out a sound of surprise when he took his helmet off and it was the knight she'd seen helping Sweet Pea before the trial. She'd also seen him around the castle and going on patrols with Jughead. Fangs, she was sure was his name. She hadn't known he could wield such a weapon, only having seen him with a sword. She shook off the surprise as she joined with the crowd to cheer for him.

After he left the field, some servants ran onto it to collect the dropped weapons and begin to set up for the joust taking place. As they waited for the next part of the tournament to begin a servant came by and offered them refreshments, which they took. Betty getting water as she hated the taste of wine and the sun beaming down made her very warm, and very thirsty. She quickly drank the goblet of water and the servant hastily refilled it, which she thanked her for. JB took a bit of fruit to chew on as they waited and Betty smiled at her. When she had seen Betty earlier in the day she had decided that she was going to wear the sash that had been made for her from the material she'd bought. Betty thought it was cute that she wanted to match with her.

The servants on the field had finally managed to set everything up so she began to pay attention again as the riders were called out. She knew one of the men under the helmets was Archie, so she paid close attention as they were given their lances. Their horses sped toward one another and either side of the divider and when they connected she saw Archie's lance land heavily on the other knights chest but wasn't enough to dismount him. The set up for another round and she watched as they sped towards each other again, this time his lance landed squarely in the middle of the other knights shoulder, unbalancing him. He slipped to the side and fell, causing the crowd to cheer and Betty clapped for him.

He pulled off his helmet and made a pass of their seats for a greeting before leaving hopping off and leaving the field. She knew next up was Jughead. He was jousting against a knight form one of the smaller families in Eldervair, and she was confident that he'd win. As they came out and took their places she gripped the arms of the chair she was sitting in as they were handed lances. She kept her eyes on him as they prepared and finally they set off. She held her breath as they met and his lance connected with the other knight, unseating him in one hit. She blew out a breath of relief, he wasn't hurt, but he'd made it to the next round meaning he could be by the end of the day.

The joust went on for a while, each time a knight got knocked off of the board, she took a deep breath. Her eyes kept going back to the board as the sigil of Eldervair kept climbing higher on the board until it made it to the top across from another. He'd made it to the last round, and if he won this time he'd win the entire thing. Archie had stayed on the board for a long time, only being knocked off in the last round by Jughead's opponent and she was nervous as they took their places. JB reached over and took her hand, letting Betty know she wasn't the only one nervous and she gave the girl a small smile full of confidence she didn't exactly feel in that moment.

The horses started rushing toward each other and she leaned forward to watch as they passed each other, neither managing a hit before they began again. She held her breath as they began toward each other again, and she watched as Jughead's lance slammed into the other knight, hitting him just right to put him off balance. He slipped from his mount and fell to the field. The cheers from the stands were deafening, cheering for their prince. Jughead trotted his horse over to their seats and took a flower crown from a servant before turning to her and reaching it up. She stood and leaned over the edge to take it and place it on her head, causing him to smile and blow a kiss to her. She smiled back before he left the field among the cheers following him.


	19. Chapter 19

Jughead was happy that he'd won the joust if only because he got to see Betty with that flower crown on. Her hair was shining in the late afternoon sun, and the flowers circling her head made her look like the literal embodiment of spring, especially in her emerald dress. He quickly stripped the armor off his body, with the help of Dilton before leaving the tent with the intent to find his wife. He found her quicker than he'd expected, as he almost ran into her outside his tent. She was standing with Veronica and Archie, who was nursing a bruised shoulder. She turned to him with a brilliant smile before throwing her arms around him and pulling him in for a tight hug.

"You won." She said happily. He grinned.

"I did." He agreed, reaching up to straighten the flower crown on her head. He was about to suggest the retire to their chambers before a young squire appeared at his side. He turned to look at him in question and noticed him glance at the others before his eyes came back to him.

"I don't mean to interrupt, My Lord, but your father sent me for you. He wishes to speak to you." He said and Jughead sighed before turning to Betty. Veronica stepped up next to her.

"Go. We'll keep her company." She said and he nodded before placing a kiss to the top of her head and following after the squire. His father had already returned to his chambers so Jughead made his way there, past all the people in the castle. It didn't take him long to get their and when he entered and closed the door behind him, he saw his father perched behind his desk again and he glanced up when at Jughead. He walked over and took a seat in front of him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. His father shook his head.

"No." He said. "I know that you just won the jousting tournament, and there's going to be a feast tonight but I need you to look over these papers. Not right away, but soon so we'll know." He said and Jughead glanced at the stack of papers on the desk.

"What are they?" He asked.

"There just papers noting the harvest and the amount of rations we have in the castle. Small things that we need to keep track of. I just need you to look over them and double check that they're accurate, so we'll know, just in case something happens." He said and Jughead raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are we expecting something to happen?" He asked cautiously. His father shrugged.

"Everything's good, peaceful but I just have a feeling. I wanted to make sure that we're prepared, just in case." He said and JUghead sighed as he took the papers and looked at his father.

"A feeling?" He asked and his father shrugged again.

"It's probably nothing." He said and Jughead stood with the papers.

"We'll be prepared, if something does happen.The knights we're training are well ahead." He said. His father nodded.

"Good. That's good." He said quietly. Jughead studied him for a long moment before turning and leaving the room. He couldn't worry about his father having a feeling right now, he'd just wait until something concrete happened before he'd start worrying. 

When he got back to his chambers, Dilton had already prepared a bath for him. He noted that Betty hadn't made it back yet and figured she was probably caught up in talking to Veronica and Archie. They had all gotten close since Betty had been here, and Archie treated her like a sister. He knew she'd probably demanded he let her have a look at his injury, with Veronica backing her. Together they were a force of nature which he knew from personal experience was hard to resist, and if you even thought of resisting they'd convince you one way or another. 

He sank into the bath and began to clean his skin, letting the warm water relax him and soothe his sore muscles. He stayed in the water for a while, relishing in the feel of it before he climbed out. He dried off and dressed quickly before sitting behind the desk and looking over the papers, figuring he could get some of it done before the feast. He was so deep in the papers that the sound of the door opening almost didn't register in his mind, but he knew by the sound of her steps that it was Betty. He glanced at her before going back to the papers, the sound of her moving around the room becoming background noise.

"Jug?" She said softly.

"Hmm?" He didn't even glance up from the papers as he checked them. He was so absorbed in the papers that he was surprised when she appeared beside the desk in only her chemise. He sat the papers down on the desk and scooted back slightly to look at her. She moved until she was in front of him, leaning back on the desk.

"I need you to do something for me." She said, her voice pitched low. He placed his hands on her hips as he looked up at her.

"Whatever you need, My Lady." He said and she bit her lip as she looked at him.

"I need you to stop treating me like a lady, just for a little while." She said.

"Okay?" He said confused. She jumped slightly until she was sitting on his desk. He stood from his chair so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Juggie, I want you to fuck me." She said softly.

"What?" He asked, but he was pretty sure his brain had just given up. Those words falling from her lips shot straight through him, down to his cock. She looked at him from under her lashes, her lip between her teeth.

"I want you....." She shook her head slightly. " No, I need you to fuck me. Stop worrying about treating me like a lady."

He stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before pulling her in and kissing her hard. She arched into him as he wrapped a hand in her hair and turned her head to the side giving him access to her neck. He trailed kisses down her neck as his other hand slid under her chemise, and when he touched her lightly, she was already wet and ready for him. She scooted herself closer and opened her legs more, giving him full access, and he pressed a finger into her without hesitating. She let out a soft sigh as if she had been waiting for him to do it and he pumped in and out of her a few times before adding another finger, She buried her face in his neck as she held onto him, her soft moans breathy in his ear. Her hips were grinding forward, and he moved his fingers faster, curling them inside her, the sounds she was making were intoxicating. He kept his hand moving until she let out a high pitched squeal before he pulled out. She moved away from him and looked at him through heavily lidded eyes.

"Stand." He said. She was quick to comply and he spun her until she was facing the desk before he pushed her down over the desk. He quickly freed himself from his clothes before pushing into her. She let out a long low moan as he began moving, her hands curled around the edge of the desk. He slammed his hips forward, bringing high breathy moans from her with each pass. The only sounds in the room were their harsh breathing and the sound of their skin slapping together as he pushed forward. Her moan quickly changed from breathy ones to high pitched cries, and her orgasm came unexpectedly. He cursed softly as she clenched around him and he slammed into her again before he stopped moving. He let the orgasm pass before he pulled out and pulled her up from the desk. She turned in his arms and kissed him hard. He pulled away from her to sit in his chair before beckoning her over. She came quickly and climbed onto his lap.

"Take what you need." He said and she sank down onto him in a fluid motion. His hands went to her hips, the skin there red from being slammed against the desk repeatedly. He knew just from the look of them that it would bruise, but she didn't seem to mind. She was bouncing on his cock, her eyes were closed like having them closed was helping her move. He pulled the chemise over her head and let it fall to the floor next to them, allowing him to admire her body as she moved. She had a light sheen of sweat covering her body, her hair damp at the edges, and her breast were bouncing lightly with every movement she was making. His eyes trailed to her face, her cheeks were rosy, her lips wet from her biting them, and she was mouthing the word please, over and over like a prayer.

He ran his thumbs over the red marks on her hips before he leaned forward and ran his tongue around her each of her nipples in turn. She let out a soft gasp as they hardened under his tongue, she tasted salty and he loved it. He moved a hand from her hip down between them and pressed his thumb against that small bundle of nerves and she began to grind her hips into him harder, moans falling from her lips. He heard the change in her voice that meant she was getting close to release, and he pulled her down for a kiss right before she squeezed tightly around him. She moaned lightly into the kiss and he felt his orgasm rush through him at the added pressure around him. They stayed locked together as they came down and she kissed him again. They held each other as their breathing slowed down again, the sweat cooling on their skin.

"Thank You." She said softly. He grabbed her face.

"You don't need to thank me, I told you anything you want, just ask." He said looking at her. "Besides, it's not like I didn't enjoy it. In fact, I'd like to do that again." He kissed her. "And again." A kiss to her neck. "And again." Right below her breast.

She brought him in for a hard kiss and despite just having orgasmed, his cock perked up in interest. Judging by the soft laugh she gave she noticed and she slipped off his lap and held her hand out for him to take. He did so willingly.

"Think you have it in you to do it again right now, My Lord?" She asked.

"Of course, My Lady." He answered following her to the bed. 

They spent the rest of the night exploring each others bodies, missing the feast altogether, but neither of them particularly minded. After they'd exhausted themselves they fell asleep in each others arms with no idea about what was coming when the sun rose.


	20. Chapter 20

Betty and Jughead were woken early in the morning by a knock at the door informing them that the King required their presence immediately. They got out of bed and dressed quickly in a drowsy haze before leaving their chambers and following the knight outside the door. He led them down a series of corridors and Betty was confused about where they were going because she was sure she'd never come this way before, but when she glanced at Jughead he seemed concerned as he glanced at her. She didn't have a chance to ask him anything before they were standing outside a set of doors that were quickly opened.

When they stepped in, Betty knew exactly what the room was used for. Jughead left her side to join his father at the head of the table that was surrounded by a group of men, the King's council. They were in the war room, which instantly put her on edge s she glanced around at everyone before her eyes landed on the King. He was looking at her with a strange expression and she quickly curtsied before approaching the other end of the table, putting her directly across from him and Jughead.

"Princess Elizabeth, your marriage to my son was formed to cement the treaty between our kingdoms and insure peace." He stated and she looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, Your Grace, I know." She said quietly.

"Then could you tell me why your brother has taken up arms and declared war?" He said. Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

"He can't do that!" She exclaimed.

"He's the prince. He can." He said and she sighed.

"My father would never allow it." She assured him. "Are you sure it is my brother?"

"I know who your brother is girl." He said. "Your father has said nothing to the contrary, they have declared war."

"You don't understand, Your Grace." She said biting her lip.

"Then explain it to me." He said. She took a deep breath before exposing the secret her family had been keeping for so many years.

"My brother isn't the prince, not really. He's a bastard. He has no right to call the banners." She said, taking in the shook going around the table. "My father let the people believe that he was legitimate, because a king without an heir is weak. He only has legitimate daughters, he needed a male heir until one of us bore a son, which my sister did. He's the true heir to the throne, not my brother. My brother is just a diversion, if someone wanted to take out the heir of Riverdale, they'd go after him and not the true heir."

"If your father needed a male heir so badly, why did he not actually legitimize the boy?" The King asked and Betty sighed, looking down at the table. She debated not saying but she knew that they needed to know the whole truth, so she looked up and met the king's eyes before speaking.

"Because he is not my father's son, he's my mothers." She saw the true surprise in his face and the table erupted into whispers until he quieted them down, and she continued speaking. "My mother was already pregnant when they got married. My father knew and he told no one but the record keeper so that he'd note the birth correctly before swearing him to secrecy so that no one would have a reason to suspect and go looking for them. Despite everything, he loved my mother and didn't want the people to think their queen a common whore."

"Thank you for your honesty." The king said quietly.

"As I said, my father would never allow him to call the banners and declare a war, he doesn't have that right. You should contact him. If my brother has truly done this, then something must be wrong." She told him. He nodded as he looked at her.

"You're dismissed, Lady Elizabeth." He said. Betty glanced at Jughead, who gave her a small reassuring smile, before turning to go. She was almost to the door when she hesitated and turned back to the table, gaining the attention of the council.

"I don't mean to speak out of turn, Your Grace, but I feel as if I should warn you. My brother is ruthless and sadistic, he will not fight with honor." She said, meeting his eyes once more to emphasize her point before turning and continuing out the doors. The knight that had brought them to the room led her back through the corridors to her chambers and she went inside them before closing the doors on the rest of the castle. She gasped in surprise when she turned around and saw Ethel.

"Are you alright, My Lady?" Ethel asked and Betty blew out a breath.

"I'm fine Ethel, you just startled me." She assured her.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to." She said softly. "I was just collecting the laundry."

"That's okay Ethel." She said before turning away from her as she made her way to the desk in the corner. She pulled a piece of parchment toward her and began to write a letter to her sister. She and Polly had always been close and she knew she'd get more information from her than she would if she sent a letter to her father. Ethel moved around the room quietly, gathering clothing before she slipped out quietly, and Betty finished her letter quickly, allowing it to dry before rolling it up and leaving the chambers again. 

She made her way through the castle, until she came upon the cages where they kept the messenger ravens. She opened one of the cages and grabbed the bird easily before tying the letter to it's leg and sending it off. She had a bad feeling about the response she'd receive. If her brother had called the banners and declared war, it didn't bode well for the fates of her parents. They had made peace, after decades of war, and she knew that neither of them would've allowed her brother's impulses to ruin that. She hoped that the people wouldn't blame her for her brother's actions, because she loved Eldervair and she wasn't sure if she could handle it if they turned on her. 

She soon found herself wondering the gardens in a daze, and her feet led her to the very edge of the forest that they led into. She glanced around, noticing that no one was around but something drew her into the trees. It almost felt like she was being surrounded by a warm blanket as she continued walking. She felt safe and comforted as she followed the feeling pulling her further into the trees, until she finally came upon a small stream and, to her surprise, Jellybean was sitting at the edge of it. She glanced at her and gave her a big smile.

"She led you here. She must really like you." Jellybean said quietly. Betty looked at her in confusion.

"Who led me here JB?" She asked. Jellybean's eyes went behind her.

"I did." A voice sounded from behind her and Betty turned on her heal, her hand going to the sword hanging at her side ready to defend Jellybean, when she took in the person behind her and her mouth fell open in surprise. Standing before her was a woman she'd seen before only once in the crypts below the castle, the Queen of Eldervair. She looked paler than most people, but standing there she seemed so real.

"But you're....." Betty trailed off and the woman smiled.

"Dead?" She asked. Betty nodded. "I am, but you'll find that there are places, especially in Eldervair, that you can speak to those that have passed."

"Why would you lead me here?" Betty asked cautiously.

"I wanted to meet you. Jellybean has told me all about you, and I've been watching over my children for a long time. Jughead may not have said it yet, but I can tell that he loves you, which makes you family." She said quietly. Betty glanced back at Jellybean, who was still smiling at them and a smile crossed her face as well as she turned back to the woman in front of her.

"It's lovely to meet you, My Lady." She said and the woman smiled as she motioned to JB and moved to sit next to her, prompting Betty to follow.

"You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger." The Queen said and Betty smiled when her eyes fell to the sword before coming back to hers. "But, when I led you here, I could feel the turmoil in your mind. What's going on?"

"It's just my brother. He's causing problems." She said, glancing at JB. She didn't want to say the word war in front of the girl, but the look that crossed the queen's face let Betty know that she understood what she meant.

"It can be hard when it's your own family turning against you, but I don't think that's what's making you feel so much." She said gently and Betty bit her lip as she glanced away. She watched the water flow over the rocks as she took a deep breath.

"I've worked so hard to have the people accept me, and now they're all going to hate me because of him." She said. The queen smiled at her.

"I don't think they will. You've shown them that you care about them. They won't forget that just because of a decision your brother made." She said causing Betty to look up at her. She gave her a gentle smile. "The people know who you are, that isn't going to change. The people trust you, and that isn't going to change because of this. The people of Eldervair aren't going to turn on you because of him, they know that your family doesn't define you. They are loyal to you, and they people are Eldervair are quite a stubborn breed, they won't let anyone but you change that, so as long as you keep your word to them, they will never turn on you."

"Thank you." Betty said softly. The queen smiled and nodded before turning to JB.

"You guys should get going, before they start wondering where you are." She said. Betty stood from her spot and brushed the dirt off her dress as JB did the same. The queen brushed her hand over JB's hair. not actually touching her and Betty wasn't sure if she could actually touch anyone. JB smiled and turned to take Betty's hand as the image of the queen seemed to slowly fade until she was gone, and the clearing they were in seemed to get a little darker.

JB began pulling her back through the forest the way she had come and Betty followed behind her, still in awe of what had just happened. For her entire life in Riverdale, she'd never known any place that you could go that would allow you to speak to people who had passed, but here apparently it was possible. The spirit if the queen had been comforting and kind, and Betty found herself wondering if JB came here a lot just to talk to her mother. She figured that she probably did and Betty found herself happy for the child. She knew that Jughead had been a few years older than his sister was now when their mother had passed so he would easily be able to remember her, but JB had been a very small child when it had happened and Betty was glad that she was able to see and speak to her mother. It wasn't the same as having her with them all the time but it seemingly meant a lot to the little girl.

Being near the queen's spirit had felt comforting to Betty, like being wrapped in a warm hug, and she liked feeling like she had her approval. The conversation they'd had gave Betty a little more confidence that the people would still be on her side. She was happy that the woman seemed to think she'd make a great queen as well. Her entire life was spent in the shadow of her siblings, and she'd known that she would never sit on the throne so she had never really thought about what kind of queen she'd be. The fact that everyone seemed to think she'd be a good one was a comfort for her.

As they got back to the castle, JB left her to go back to her lessons and Betty decided to retire to her chambers. When she arrived, Jughead was inside which surprised her because she'd thought he'd be with his father for a while longer but with a glance out the window at the position of the sun, she realized that she'd been gone longer than she had thought, He turned to look at her when she came in and she moved toward him quickly, joining him next to his desk.

"I'm sorry." She said, not looking at him. She heard him move toward her before his hand went under her chin and lifted her face so that their eyes met.

"This isn't your fault Betty. No one blames you for what your brother is doing." He said seriously and she studied his face looking for any sign of a lie, which she didn't find.

"Not even your father." She asked quietly. He sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"He knows that this has nothing to do with you." He said, placing a kiss on the op of her head.

"I just don't understand why he's doing this." She said, pressing her face into his chest.

"We'll figure it out." He said softly.


	21. Chapter 21

Jughead woke up with Betty pressed against his side. He had spent the night reassuring her that no one blamed her for her brother's actions, but in the cold light of morning the reality of the situation was hitting him. They'd spent decades at war and now, after only a few months of peace, it was about to start anew. He slid out of bed slowly, making sure not to wake her before presseing a soft kiss to her hair. He got dressed quickly and left to join the knights on the training field. This time when he got there he found not only the knights in training but the rest of the army as well, with Archie standing near the front. He could tell that they were confused as to why they were here. He had called for them to gather here early, and he knew they were all wondering what was going on. He took a deep breath, looking over all of them before he began explaining.

"I've called you all here because we have to be ready. There's a war coming and I need all of you to be at your best." He said and the group dissolved into whispers. Archie stepped forward.

"What's going on? The war has ended." He said and Jughead sighed.

"Chic Cooper has decided that it isn't so we need to be ready. We will be fighting before long, Riverdale isn't some faraway kingdom and they have already begun marching toward our doors. We will not allow them to get close to the city. We need to crush this rebellion soon, before it explodes into a full on war." He explained. "My father and I have come to an agreement, I will march out with the rest of you to meet the army. We need to be fast and brutal. We need to end this before it has a chance to begin."

"Even if we won a battle against them, Chic would continue to attack." Fangs spoke up and Jughead nodded.

"That's why we need to take him out. If they have no leader to follow, they will have no reason to attack. I have it on good faith that he is acting against the wishes of the king." He explained.

"How does your wife feel about that plan?" Sweet Pea asked.

"She understands that certain things must be done to insure peace." He said.

The rest of the time was spent making sure that the men were ready to fight. The knights who were still in training were hastily given full knightship, and Jughead was confident that they'd do well. They had been ahead in their training anyway, and they needed all the men they could get. He spent most of the day on the field with the men before he allowed them to leave and rest. He planned to march out with them, but they weren't going to be leaving the city until the recieved word from Betty's parents.

He had told them men to kill Chic if they came upon him in battle and he wanted to make absolutely sure that it would actually end the war, and not extend it. After leaving the men, he found himself back in his chambers but Betty wasn't inside them like he had expected. He knew that her brother's actions had to be taking a toll on her, so he figured she had retreated to the gardens. Ever since she had come to Eldervair, he had noticed tha when she was upset that she would go to the gardens, where he had taken her the first time they'd met.

He turned and left the room as quickly as he'd entered it, intent on finding Betty but he was quickly sidetracked from that goal by Archie, who appeared in front of him suddenly to drag him down the corridor and into an abandoned room. Jughead gave him a strange look but didn't say anything as he waited for his friend to speak. Archie was pacing in front of him and seemed to be contemplating something before he turned to face Jughead fully.

"Your wife's brother is going to start a war." He stated and Jughead sighed.

"Apparently." He said. Archie bit his lip.

"Are you sure she has nothing to do with it?" He asked and Jughead's eyes snapped to him.

"What?" He asked, his voice going low. Archie winced slightly but bravely kept his gaze.

"I mean, it is her brother. What if she told him to start a war because she wanted out?" He asked.

"She doesn't have anything to do with this Archie." He told him. "She wouldn't betray us like that. She was just as shocked as we were when she found out."

"Are you sure she wasn't just acting?" He asked and Jughead glared at him.

"I trust her, and you should too." He said before looking around and stepping closer to him. "She told us that her brother is a bastard. He has no right to start a war, but he has. She had nothing to do with this, I know that."

"Okay." Archie said quietly as he studied Jughead's face. "I trust you. If you say she's innocent,I believe you."

"Don't tell anyone what I said about her brother. They don't need to know yet." Jughead said quietly. Archie nodded.

"I promise." He said before leaving the room. Jughead took a deep breath and blew it out before he left the room and continued on his way to the gardens.

He walked through the gardens quietly until he reached the fountain that he'd brought her to on her first night here. She was sitting on the ground next to it, leaning her head on her folded arms as she looked at the water. The sunlight was shining through her hair, and she looked almost like an apparition. He was almost afraid that if he moved to quickly that she'd disappear into nothing, so he moved toward her quietly. He could tell the moment she picked up the sound of his footsteps because her shoulders tensed and her body was less relaxed as her head whipped around.

She calmed immediately when she saw that it was him and went back to her original position. He sat down next to her slowly and joined her looking at the water. They sat together quietly for a while before she sat back and looked at him. She had a strange look on her face as she studied him for a moment, her lip held between her teeth as she did. He didn't ask her if she was okay, just sat there, waiting for her to speak. He could tell that she wanted to say something and was working up to it so he waited patiently.

"I was thinking...." She trailed off, shaking her head like she wasn't sure if she should say it.

"Betty, it's okay. Whatever it is, you can talk me." He said quietly.

"I've been thinking, there's no way that my father has let this happen." She said meeting his eyes. "I think something is wrong. I wrote to Polly, but I'm terrified that something has happened to my parents. I'm afraid I'll never see them again." 

Jughead noticed the tears falling down her face moments before he pulled her into him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she buried her face in his neck, and he could feel the wetness gather at the collar of his shirt but couldn't bring himself to care as he ran his hands through her hair to try and calm her down.

"It's okay." He murmured into her hair. "Everything's okay."

They sat like that for a long time before she seemed to gather herself. When she pulled back from him, her eyes were red and watery but the tears had stopped coming for now at least. He brushed her hair back from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"We should retire to our chambers." He said softly. She nodded as she stood from the ground, and he joined her quickly. "It's going to be okay Betty. My father has written to your father, he'll send a letter back and we'll know what's going on."

"No he won't." She said, looking at him. "I've been thinking about it all day Jug. My father wouldn't have let it get this far if he was okay. There wouldn't be a war if he was okay. Something's wrong."

"We'll figure this out Betty, I promise." He said quickly. She sighed and nodded.

"Okay." She said.

"Okay." He repeated, before leading her towards the castle and inside. They passed Veronica on the way but she clearly saw Betty's face and allowed them to pass without interrupting when Jughead gave her a subtle shake of his head. He closed the doors to their chambers behind them quietly before moving to help Betty remove her dress. He folded it and placed it over the chair next to them before he turned back to her, and she surprised him by kissing him as soon as he'd turned to her. He pulled away for a moment to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"I want you to make me forget, if only for a little while." She said quietly. He studied her face, still reflecting the sadness and tears.

"Betty, I think you should take a moment." He said softly, cupping her face. 

"Please?" She asked softly. "I just need to stop thinking for a while."

He looked at her for a long moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She stated. He pulled her in by her waist and studied her face for a long moment before he kissed her. 

She tangled her hands into his hair and he sighed into her mouth as he lifted her up from the floor and turned to sit her on the table behind them. She wrapped her legs around him immediately as she pressed her body close to his. His hands moved to her hips and scooted her to the very edge of the table before moving to pull the edges of her chemise up to her waist. She moved her mouth to his collarbone and began to suck a bruise into his skin, next to the one that was already there. He was quick to pull the ties keeping his trousers closed, and they slid down his legs easily.

He pressed into her quickly and she gasped against his skin. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he began moving, and she pulled her mouth away from him as she moaned. She kept her legs wrapped around him as he moved and he felt the press of her nails through his shirt. He moved a hand to her hair and pulled her back in for another kiss, and she made a sound at the back of her throat as she nibbled on his lips. He pushed into her fully adn stopped as he lifted her from the table and moved them quickly to the bed. He pressed her down into the mattress as he slammed his hips down into her. 

She stuck her hands under his shirt and her nails raked across his back, urging him on and he pressed deep into her. She had spots of red high in her cheeks as her breath came in quick gasps and he moved his hand under her chemise nd ran his fingers over her breast. They sprung up into peaks under his hand and her lip was held between her teeth as she breathed heavily. Their eyes met and he kept the contact as he moved. He pupils were dilated, her eyes wide, but the sorrow he'd seen in them was gone. He moved to kiss her as he slowed his movements, and she held him close. The heat began building low in his abdomen and it took seconds before they were tumbling over the edge together.

After they cam down he pulled out of her and rolled over to land on the bed next to her. They took a moment to catch their breath, a light sheen of sweat covering their bodies before she turned on her side to look at him. He turned to face her and they looked at each other for a long moment before he reached out and touched her face lightly.

"Whatever happens, I will be here. You don't have to go through this alone, you can talk to me." He said quietly.

"Thank you." She said softly. "For not turning your back on me. I know that he's my brother, but you have to know that this isn't something I wanted.

"I know, Betty. I trust you, that hasn't changed." He assured her. "And it never will."


	22. Chapter 22

Betty was sitting next to the field where the knights were working with Veronica when a small child appeared next to her. He held out a rolled up piece of parchment for her which she took easily, before he spun around and ran off again. Veronica looked at her in confusion but she shrugged and looked down at the parchment. It was then that she noticed that it had the royal seal of Riverdale on it and her heart rate picked up. It had been a couple of weeks since she had sent a letter to Polly and she had been waiting for a response. She quickly broke the seal and unrolled the parchment to read it.

 

                  _Betty,_

_I hope that this letter has reached you. Chic killed the messenger birds and has forbidden anyone from sending word to anyone else, but I_

_managed to get this letter to someone who assured me that they'd get it to the right person. I am sad to inform you that our parents are dead._

_They have been poisoned with something that can be only found in Eldervair, Nightshade I believe it is called. Chic has used that as an excuse to_

_declare war, but I am sure he had something to do with it. He has always wanted the throne, and he'd do anything to get it. I know that you may_

_want to come back to Riverdale, to say goodbye to our parents, but I urge you to stay in Eldervair. Don't give him an easy way to keep you here._

_Stay safe and help your husband end this war._

_Polly_

 

Betty was sure she had stopped breathing as she read the letter conforming what she already believed to be true. Her parents were dead, and she couldn't go back to Riverdale to say goodbye because her brother was a raving lunatic. Veronica was looking at her in concern and she noticed her wave someone over moments before Jughead was standing in front of her, looking down at them. She handed the letter up to him wordlessly, not sure that she could even speak to explain it at the moment. She watched as his eyes flew across the page, before he reached down and pulled her up to her feet swiftly.

"We must take this to my father." He said and she nodded. They made their way to the council room, where they found him with the other members of the castle and Jughead handed him the letter.  He read over it before looking up at her.

"You are sure this is from your sister?" He asked and Betty nodded.

"Yes, Your Grace. I know her handwriting almost as well as my own, it's from her." She assured him. He sighed and his eyes ran over it again.

"What I don't understand is how he, or whoever actually poisoned them, got the nightshade in the first place." Jughead said in frustration and the pieces clicked into place for Betty.

"Lord Blossom." She said causing them to look at her. "I should have known he wasn't actually looking for his daughter. He doesn't care about her."

"Do you know how big his army is? You grew up in Riverdale." The king asked and Betty sighed.

"I'm not sure, Your Grace. I was never told, but if I had to guess, I'd say at least twenty thousand. He could have more, if he hired sale swords." She said.

"Right, well thank you for bringing this to me Lady Elizabeth." He said, and she took it as the dismissal it was. Jughead followed her out the doors, and she knew he had to go back to the knights outside. She followed him quietly until he stopped unexpectedly and turned to her, causing her to look at him.

"I'm so sorry about your parents Betty." He said quietly. She bit her lip as she took a deep breath.

"When I found out about my brother, I knew deep down, that I'd never see them again." She said quietly. "I can't dwell on it, because then i'll just cry, and maybe I'll never stop. I need to keep moving, to make sure that my brother pays for what he's done."

"We'll end this war before it begins, Betty. I'll make sure that he pays for it, I promise you that." He said and she pulled him down for a kiss.

"Thank you." She said quietly before meeting his eyes. "There's something else I need you to do for me."

"What do you need?" He asked. She took a deep breath.

"I know that you're going to ride out with the knights, and that will leave us vulnerable here in the castle. I know that some of the knights will stay behind to protect the city, but it won't be nearly enough if they make it through. We can't defend the castle if only half of us are fighting." She said, hoping he understood what she meant. He studied her face for a moment and he saw the emotion cross his face when he realized what she meant.

"Betty, if the castle is attacked, the women will be in the citadel. It's protected, you won't need to fight." He said. 

"What if they take the citadel? What happens to us then?" She asked, cupping his face. "They need to know how to defend themselves." 

He looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "I'll call a meeting of the court."

They continued on to the field, with him stopping off to speak to a servant, informing him to spread the word of the meeting, before continuing. When they reached the field, Veronica was still sitting where they'd left her, watching the knights and Betty helped her up from the ground as she cradled her growing belly. Jughead informed the knights of the meeting and they disbursed to get ready. Archie came over to them and Veronica took his arm as they followed them into the castle. Jughead split off from them and Betty knew he was going to explain to his father why he had called the meeting in the first place.

Betty continued on into the throne room with everyone else, Jellybean joining her quickly. She took the girl's hand and walked alongside her to the dais holding the throne, the people parting to let them through. They stepped up next to the throne and took their places at the side of it, as they waited for Jughead and the king to join them. As they waited Betty glanced around at the lords and ladies. They looked intrigued and curious and she hoped that what was about to happen didn't cause to much of a problem.

Their own queen had carried a sword so she hoped that they were a little less traditional about what was appropriate for a lady, but she also knew that the queen had been gone for a while now. Maybe they didn't remember her, or maybe they had never agreed with it in the first place but she wasn't going to back down, and she knew she had the support of her husband at least. She was brought out of her thoughts by the king entering the room with Jughead at his side. The people bowed to him as he passed and the room went quiet as he moved to the throne and sat down. Jughead caught her eye as he took his place next to Jellybean and gave her a small smile, which she returned on instinct before her eyes went to the king.

He sat there in silence for a moment, observing the people in the room before he glanced at her for a moment. Their eyes met and his facial expression gave nothing away but she could see the smile in his eyes, so she knew he approved of her plan. That all occurred within a few seconds before he went back to looking out at the people.

"This meeting was called because we need to discuss the war. I'm sure that all of you all aware of it happening. We have many good men fighting for us, but we cannot hope to defend our kingdom if only half the population is fighting, so I have decided that the women will be trained in basic fighting as well. We cannot teach them to fight like a knight in the time we have, but we can teach them to defend themselves before the fighting begins." He said, and immediately the court erupted into whispers. The king stood, making the crowd go silent again as they looked at him and a man stepped out from the crowd. Betty knew who he was instantly despite having only met him in passing, Lord Lodge, Veronica's father.

"You expect me to put a sword in my daughters hand?" He asked and the king didn't even have a chance to speak before Betty answered him.

"I don't plan on sitting in my chambers while men fight for me, Lord Lodge. If the opposing army manages to make it into the castle they'll just kill you, nut do you know what they'll do to me? To your wife? Your daughter? They will keep us like playthings, to be used and abused whenever they feel like it. I don't intend to let them get that close." She said. He turned his gaze on her.

"Isn't it your brother who's started this war?" He asked and she glared at him before her eyes moved over the crowd.

"My brother is a traitor." She said. "My parents are dead, and he's saying that someone in Eldervair killed them, but I know he did it. I will kill him myself if I have to, but that does not change the fact that the women need to know how to defend themselves."

"We will begin training every man, women, boy and girl above the age of ten." The king's voice came from behind her.

"But--" Lord Lodge started before Betty cut him off.

"If you continue to protest Lord Lodge, I will use you as _target practice._ " She snapped. He looked at her for a long moment and she could tell he wanted to say something but thought better of it.

"Very well, My Lady." He said, before rejoining his wife. Veronica was standing next to them and Betty could see the amusement in her eyes, even though it didn't show on her face. 

The king dismissed them after telling them to send their daughters and wives to the training field the next day. Betty was standing at the edge of the dais watching the people leave and she was so distracted that she jumped slightly when someone touched her arm. She turned to see the king standing next to her and she met his eyes as he smiled t her. He led her out of the room and she caught Jughead's eye as they left and he smiled, so she knew that whatever was going on, the king wasn't mad at her.

She followed him into the council chambers and he closed the door behind them before turning to her. She glanced around the room, noticing that they were alone before her eyes came back to him and he gave her a gentle smile. He motioned to the table and pulled out a chair for her to sit, before he sat in the chair next to her and took her hand in his. Her eyes snapped up to his.

"I wanted to speak to you alone, Lady Elizabeth." He said quietly and she nodded.

"Is something wrong, Your Grace?" She asked and he shook his head.

"No." He said. "I wanted to let you know that if you wanted to go back to Riverdale, for your parents funeral, that we could arrange it. I know that your sister is worried, that she told you to stay here, but if you wanted to go, we would make sure that you were safe."

"It's okay." Betty said. "Polly is right, I shouldn't go. My brother is cruel, he would keep me there and kill anyone I brought with me. I won't risk any of the knights. I don't want them to die for me."

"If you are sure about this, I'll let it go." He said. "But I know what it's like to lose someone." 

"I knew the moment you told me that my brother declared war that something had happened to them, Your Grace. I've made my peace with it. All I need now is for this to end." She said softly.

"Okay." He said studying her for a moment. "You're stronger than most people I know, My Lady."

"I grew up in Riverdale, Your Grace. You have to be strong, or you'll be chewed up, even if you're a princess." She said as she stood from the chair and inclined her head to him. "Thank you for speaking to me, but I'll be okay. I don't need to go to a funeral to say goodbye, I can do that from here." 


	23. Chapter 23

Jughead found himself on the training field with the women of the court, the servants and the children. Archie was next to him, helping him teach them the proper way to hold a sword and engage in a fight. To his surprise, most of the women seemed eager to learn. He knew that Betty and Jellybean were excited to learn and carry a sword but he hadn't realized that it was something that so many of the women he saw everyday would want to learn. When he thought about it though, it made sense to him. Women were the most vulnerable in a war, and he knew what Betty said was true, if they somehow lost then the women of his court would be used and abused by the opposing army. He was glad that she'd suggested the training because at least then, the women would be able to defend themselves.

He knew that the women wouldn't be able to fight as well as the knights in the short time they had to train them, but at least they'd have some skill and he was planning to leave someone behind to continue their training when he rode out with the other knights. He was brought out of his thoughts by a messenger running up to him and informing him that his father needed him immediately, so he dismissed the women training on the field and turned to follow the messenger back to the council chambers with Archie trailing behind him.

When they entered the room, Jughead saw a map laid out across the table. His father glanced up at him and the expression on his face let Jughead know that whatever he was about to say, it wasn't good news. The door closed behind him, a bang echoing in the room before he moved to the edge of the table.

"What's going on?" He asked and his father sighed.

"You're going to have to march out sooner than we had planned for." He said motioning to the map on the table. "A runner came to tell us that the army of Riverdale was approaching from the south. You need to take the men out to meet them. We don't want them getting to close to the city."

"Why are they coming from the south?" Archie asked, stepping up next to him. "Riverdale is north of here."

"They probably thought they'd catch us by surprise. They wouldn't think we had a lookout south of here." Jughead said, looking over the map. The only thing south of Eldervair was the sea and he guessed that was how they'd gotten to the other side without being seen by anyone in Eldervair. 

"I'll get the men ready." Archie said, before turning from the table and leaving the room quickly. Jughead looked up to meet his father's eyes.

"I'll end this before it has a chance to become a true war." He assured him. "We have surety that if we kill Chic Cooper, that the princess of Riverdale won't launch a counter attack. All I have to do is get to him."

"I'm confident that you'll do just that." His father said. "Go get ready to leave."

Jughead nodded and left the room swiftly. He made a detour to the royal forge before continuing on to his chambers, where he found Betty inside. She turned to look at him when he entered and a smile crossed her face as she made her way over to him. He kissed her lightly before pulling away and presenting her with the sword he'd had made for her. The hilt of the sword had a rose with a serpent curled around it engraved on it, the symbol of both their houses joined together, and he knew the moment her eyes fell on it because she ran her fingers over it lightly.

She took the sword out of his hands and laid it down on the table next to them before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a longer kiss. He returned the kiss for a long moment before he pulled away again and cupped her face in his hands.

"I got this made for you. I hope that you like it more than the one you have now." He said with a soft smile and she nodded.

"I love it." She said as she studied his face. "Is something wrong?" 

"I've got to leave." He said quietly, looking at her. "We need to end this fight before it gets too far."

"Please don't go." She said quietly, touching his face softly. He gave her a sad smile.

"What kind of Prince would I be if I let my men march off without me, while I hid behind castle walls?" He asked.

"Not a very good one." She said. "But safe."

"You know I can't stay." He said. The look on her face made his heart ache but he knew that she understood that he had to go.

"I know." She said, her hands sliding off his shoulders. He took her hand in his.

"The men should be ready by now." He said quietly. 

He pulled her out the doors of their chambers and out to the front of the castle where the men had gotten everything ready to leave. His horse was standing next to a stable hand waiting for him to get on and leave. He moved away from Betty for a minute to hug Jellybean before coming back to her and he saw Veronica saying goodbye to Archie out of the corner of his eye before she cupped his face in her hands, bringing his attention fully to her.

"I need you to listen to me." She said quietly and he nodded as their eyes locked. "Our story isn't over yet, it's just beginning so you come back to me."

"Always, My Lady." He answered. She sniffled as he turned away from her to make his way over to his horse but he was stopped by her hand on his arm and he turned back to face her, She took a shaky breath, the tears rolling over her cheeks as she looked at him.

"I love you." She said quietly, and his heart beat faster. Neither of them had said it before now even though he knew that they both felt it. He disregarded propriety as he kissed her right there in front of everyone, and when he pulled back he leaned his forehead into hers.

"I love you too." He said quietly. They stayed like that for a long moment before he forced himself to pull back and walk away from her. He grabbed Sweet Pea on his way over to his horse and glanced over at Betty and Jellybean, who were now holding hands. Sweet Pea glanced at him before following his gaze.

"Take care of them while I'm gone Sweet Pea. You're one of our best fighters and I'm trusting you to look after the most precious things in my life." He said seriously and Sweet Pea nodded.

"I've got them. You don't need to worry." He said and Jughead nodded.

He continued on his way and mounted his horse quickly, Archie joining him not long after with his own horse and they each turned to look at the steps outside the castle one last time before the guided their horses into a steady gallop with the others following behind them. Jughead was much more terrified this time riding in to battle even though he'd grown up with a war going on around him and he knew why this time put him on edge so much. Before when he'd rode out for battle, he hadn't had someone to come home for, and now that he did it all seemed so much more serious. He had promised her to come home and he wasn't going to break that promise for anything.


	24. Chapter 24

It had been a week since Jughead had marched out with the army and Betty had been spending more time with Jellybean and the King, who told her she could call him FP when they weren't at court. JB would disappear from the castle sometimes and Betty would see her wondering out of the forest, and she knew that she'd been visiting her mother. Betty thought it was nice that she could do that even though her mother was long dead and she had decided that when Jughead came back, she'd take him there. She thought that it might be good for him to see his mother and get closure or something close to it.

She was having breakfast with FP and Jellybean when a boy came into the room and Betty could tell by his outfit that he was a knight but she knew, judging by his age that he couldn't have been a knight for long. He looked very young, only a few years older than some of the children that she saw at training, and he looked nervous as he approached the table. FP gave him a gentle smile as he stood there.

"I bring news from the lookout post, Your Grace." He said timidly as he glanced at Betty before turning his attention back to FP. "The army of Riverdale is marching toward the city."

"I thought they were coming from the south." Betty said looking at FP, who had a calculating look on his face as he dismissed the knight. 

"It must have been a diversion. He had to know we'd send troops to meet him." He glanced from her to Jellybean. "He wanted to split our army so it would be easier for him to attack the castle."

"We should call Jughead back." She said and he shook his head.

"It's too late. By the time he made it back, they'd be at the city gates." He said. "We need to get JB out of here. They'll kill her without a second thought."

"I'll take care of it, you call the war council. We need a plan before he gets here." She said standing from the table and grabbing JB's hand. FP looked at them for a long moment before pulling JB into a tight hug. Betty let them have a moment before she pulled JB away from him and out into the corridor. The little girl looked nervous as Betty pulled her through the castle before ducking into the servants quarters where she quickly dug through the laundry and found a dress, leaving a gold coin in it's place before she began pulling JB once more. 

When they got to her chambers, Betty sent the knight stationed at her door to get Sweet Pea, making sure to tell him that it was urgent before she closed the doors behind her. She helped JB change out of her dress and into the new one, before she brushed through her hair and removed all jewelry that could identify her as a high born lady. By the time she had JB dressed to look like a peasant girl, Sweet Pea was knocking at the door and she allowed him in, making sure that no one else was around. 

She grabbed a handful of clothes she'd grabbed hastily and shoved them into his arms, motioning for him to go and change. He looked at her strangely but moved behind the screen to pull on the outfit she had given him. While he was getting ready, she dug around in her closet for the least conspicuous riding cloak and quickly tied it around JB's shoulders, pulling the hood up to make sure it covered her face. Sweet Pea steeped out from behind the screen, looking at her with a question in his eyes.

"I need you to take JB far away from here." She said and he looked between them for a moment.

"My Lady, the prince left me to protect both of you." He said and Betty sighed.

"Sweet Pea, I don't need you to protect me but JB does." She said. "The Riverdale army is marching to our gates as we stand here speaking. If they find her, they will kill her so I need you to take her far away from here, and don't come back unless you hear from me directly."

"I can't just leave you here on your own." He protested and Betty rolled her eyes.

"I won't be alone. There's a whole army here to protect me." She said, glancing at JB who was clinging to her hand. "You need to take her Sweet Pea, she's not safe here."

"I don't want to leave you!" JB exclaimed from beside her and Betty sighed softly as she turned to look at the girl, before she cupped her face.

"You need to go with Sweet Pea, okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to you, so you need to be far away from here, just for a little while." Betty said looking into the little girls eyes, so similar to her brother's, and hoped she wasn't about to lie to her. "Jughead will come back soon, and he'll take care of everything and then you can come home. Until then Sweet Pea is going to take care of you."

"I'm scared." JB said, tears pooling in her eyes and Betty pulled her into a tight hug, running her fingers through her hair before she placed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I know, my love, but everything's going to be okay. I promise." She said, pulling back to look at her face once more. "But I need you to be brave and go with Sweet Pea, okay?"

"Okay." She said softly. Betty gave her one last hug before she pushed her toward Sweet Pea gently and he took her hand. Betty moved toward them to meet Sweet Pea's eyes as she touched his arm lightly.

"Remember, don't come back unless you hear from me. She needs to be protected at all cost." She said and he nodded.

"I'll take care of her, My Lady. I'll protect her with my life." He assured her. She followed them out into the stables and waited with Jellybean while Sweet Pea got the horses ready before she helped her up onto hers. She waited until they'd left before she returned to the castle and her feet took her toward the war room where she knew the king was sure to be. 

When she entered the room, the men around the table all stopped speaking and looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head, but FP simply stepped away from the table and joined her in the corner of the room where the other men wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. Betty studied them for a moment, making sure they couldn't overhear before she looked up at him and sighed.

"I sent JB away with Sweet Pea. He'll protect her, but I think we need to have another plan on place." She said and FP studied her face.

"And what's your plan?" He asked. Betty bit her lip.

"If they manage to take the castle, they'll be looking for her." She said, once again glancing at the men around the table. "They can't look for someone who's already dead."

"What are you talking about?" He asked and Betty sighed.

"I'm saying that anyone would betray even their closest friend if they're being tortured, which I'm sure my brother will do, so maybe it's better to let everyone think she's dead." She said, meeting his eyes. "That way, they'll have no reason to look for her." 

"People have seen her wondering the castle, even just yesterday. They're not going to believe she's suddenly died." He said and Betty shrugged.

"Tell them that she's fallen ill with a fever, and insist that only you ad I are allowed in her chambers, wait a few days and then announce her death. The people will mourn her, and no one but you, I and Sweet Pea will know what really happened." She said and he studied her face for a long moment, as she waited for his verdict. He sighed before nodding.

"I agree. Let's not give them a reason to go after her." He said. She nodded before they stepped away from the wall and she bowed to him before hastily exiting the room, leaving him to hopefully explain JB's "illness". She truly believed that it was the best route to take so that they wouldn't go looking for the girl.

Betty hoped that all of this proved to be unnecessary because they were able to hold off the army, but that wasn't a guarantee so it was better that they were safe, just in case. She knew how brutal and cruel her brother could be so there was a very real chance that he'd manage to make it in somehow but still she hoped that they could manage to hold them off until Jughead and the other's returned. She knew her brother well, which meant the she also knew that he wouldn't have sent half his army to the south if he was planning to take the castle. She suspected that he'd sent the weakest of them, making up less than a fourth of his army, since they were meant to be a distraction. He didn't need them to actually win, just to distract.

She made her way to JB's chambers and slipped inside. She made sure to stay in the room for a considerable amount of time before she came back out, just in case anyone was watching. She knew that Chic could have a spy anywhere in the castle and she didn't want to risk them reporting back to him about anything. While she was in JB's room, she made a point not to observe things too closely, not wanting to invade the little girls privacy. When she slipped back out of the room and started back down the hall, she was met with Ethel, who had a basket full of laundry that she must have just gotten from her chambers. Betty gave her a polite smile and greeting as they passed, which she returned, before she was able to escape into her chambers. As she leaned against the closed doors, she sighed thinking about the day that had just gone by. It had only been a few hours since she'd woken up, and yet everything in the castle had completely changed. There were still hours to go before nightfall, but she found herself already exhausted. She wasn't sure if it was actually physical fatigue, or if she only felt this way because she was emotionally drained. 

She shrugged, figuring it wasn't really important which one it was right now. She removed her dress and crawled into the bed, pulling the blankets over her body and inhaling the faint scent of her husband embedded in them before she took a deep breath and cleared her mind before falling into a deep sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Jughead was standing at the top of a hill, with Archie and Fangs flanking him, looking down at the army they'd defeated very easily. He felt an uneasiness growing in his mind as he watched the knights move around the field checking for anyone still living and he couldn't shake it as he turned away from the scene back toward the trail leading back to the castle. 

"This was too easy." He said quietly, gaining the attention of Archie and Fangs, who turned to look at him.

"Maybe Riverdale's army is weaker than we thought." Archie said next to him and he shook his head.

"No, that's not it." He said, running the battle through his head. "Chic Cooper isn't here."

"It was a distraction." Fangs said and Jughead turned his head to look at him.

"It was a distraction." He confirmed before spinning around and calling for the knights to mount their horses, quickly following the instruction himself, with Archie and Fangs right behind him. "We need to get back to Eldervair."

He urged his horse into a strong gallop, knowing that Chic must have used the distraction to split the army. Less than half the army was left at the castle meaning they were vulnerable to attack, and he knew that was probably the goal. He felt utterly stupid for falling for the ploy but he couldn't focus on that as they rode for the castle. They were at least a couple days ride from Eldervair's castle walls, but he pushed his horse to make up the distance quickly, the army at his back. 

He couldn't let himself be distracted by thoughts of the people he'd left at the castle. He knew that his father and Betty could fight and take care of themselves but Jellybean had only just started training with a sword and he knew that she was no where near ready to face fully trained knights. He took a small measure of comfort in the knowledge that he'd left Sweet Pea with them and he knew the man would give his life to protect them. The army rode hard, making up a lot of ground before they were forced to stop by the darkness growing around them.

The men made camp and watered the horses while Jughead began pacing at the edge of the group. Archie joined him not long after and their eyes met, forcing Jughead out of his thoughts long enough for him to realize that he wasn't the only one who had things to worry about. He knew that many of the men around them had wives and children left at the castle as well and he forced himself to take a deep breath and push away the panic running through him. He turned to Archie and grasped his shoulders.

"Veronica will be fine, Arch." He said quietly. Archie blew out a breath as he nodded.

"So will Betty." Archie said and Jughead nodded.

"They'll be fine." He said, mostly to himself.

They moved over to the others, crowded around the fire, to get themselves some food. Everyone seemed on edge, but they all knew that they couldn't do anything until morning. Jughead saw a few knights unrolling their blankets and laying them out on the ground and he followed them after finishing his food, hoping that a little rest would help. He laid on the blankets, forcing his mind clear of all the worry, but it still took him a long time to drift off to sleep.

He was being shook awake what felt like only minutes later but the darkness surrounding them, deeper than before, let him know that it must have been a couple hours at least. He looked up, meeting Archie's eyes, before he tossed the blankets off of his body and grabbed his sword to take over the watch from the other two knights. He and Archie took their places easily, leaning against a tree, working to wipe the sleep from their minds. Jughead knew by the quality of the darkness, that it must be very early in the morning, and he and Archie must have the last watch before the sun rose.

Neither of them spoke as they stood next to each other, both too lost in their own thoughts and worries. Jughead knew that if they rode hard today, like they had the previous day, then they'd make it back to the castle by nightfall. He felt like he should have known it was a trap but he hadn't been thinking about it when he rode out with the army. Betty's words kept running through his head, her brother was ruthless and cruel, and that made him even more worried about the people in the castle. He knew logically that they had things in place to defend the castle, but if Chic managed to break through the defenses, people would be in horrible danger, including his family.

the watch went by in total silence and the moment a bit of light started creeping over the ground, Jughead woke the men who began packing everything up quickly, sending them on their way with the sunrise behind them. He once again pushed his horse to ride hard, the scenery around them rushing by in a blur, as they rode toward the castle. They took small breaks throughout the day to give the horses a moment to rest before they began riding again. By the time the sun had traveled across the sky and had begun to set, they had made it back to Eldervair, the castle standing tall in the distance urging the men to ride faster. 

As they got close to the castle, Jughead quickly realized that they were a little late, the warning bells ringing through the city. He didn't even hesitate as they made it to the courtyard, the opposing army turning to met them as they came, erupting into a battle. He didn't even pay attention to the men he was fighting, if they wore the banner of the opposing army he took the out swiftly before moving onto the next one, his only thought being the need to reach JB and Betty. The sounds of the battle faded from his mind as he swung his sword from the back of his horse before he dismounted and moved into the battle on foot intent on making it back inside the castle.

He was so distracted by the battle in front of him that he wasn't paying attention to protecting his back, leaving him vulnerable. He was brought to his knees by a blow to the back of his head and as he looked up he saw a blurry image of Chic Cooper looking down on him. He braced himself for the blow he knew was coming but instead, Chic looked behind him and Jughead felt hands yanking him up to a standing position before he was dragged into the castle. He knew where he was headed after the first few turns so he tried to fight back but the blow to the head had seriously disoriented him. The knights dragging him down the corridors quickly made it to the dungeons, where they threw him into a cell and left him there. He grabbed the bars and shook them, trying to find a weakness in them until he heard the soft sound of crying in the cell next to his, causing him to look over. 

He crawled to the edge of the bars and reached through to touch the girl in the next cell, who he recognized to be Veronica. She looked up suddenly, startled by the feel of his hand on her arm, and their eyes met. She moved closer to the cars, wrapping her hand round them as she looked at him.

"Jug?" She asked surprised before looking around. "Where's Archie?"

"I don't know. I lost track of him in the battle." He said and she bit her lip as a soft whimper escaped her. "Where's Betty?"

"I don't know." She said through her tears. "She told me to run, but they caught me."

"It's going to be okay, Veronica." He said, trying to comfort her. She nodded roughly before moving her hand from the bar to grasp his.

"It's going to be okay." She repeated. He squeezed her hand in his until the sounds of fighting slowed, before stopping completely. The knights came back into the dungeons and he heard the doors around them opening and people being thrown inside before they slammed shut again. It took a few seconds for the door to his cell to open and Archie was tossed into his cell before the door slammed shut behind him, and Archie scrambled over to them, huddled together against the sides of their cells. The sounds soon stopped around them and the knights who'd brought them all down to the dungeons took the torches from the walls before leaving, plunging them into complete darkness. 

Jughead took a moment to send up a prayer to the gods that, where ever she was, that Betty was safe. He hadn't heard her when the knights had brought people down to the dungeons, so he had to hope that she'd gotten away, but he knew that she was stubborn and that she wouldn't have just left the castle.


	26. Chapter 26

A couple days passed before FP announced to the court that JB had died, both of them donning their mourning clothes to sale the story. The people of the court mourned the loss of their princess for only a short time before the army reached the castle. The women and children were ushered into the inner room of the citadel and left with some weapons to defend themselves if the opposing army made their way through the defenses. Betty refused to go into the room with them and instead followed FP up to the battlements where they looked out at the army. 

The archers positioned on their walls managed to keep them at bay for a little while until they made it close enough to the castle that they couldn't hit them. They held out for a while before she noticed one of the knights of Riverdale appear at the edge of the battlements and she knew that they must have gotten into the castle somehow. The army fighting below them in the courtyard was only a part of the army that Chic had brought with him. She knew that she must have been right before in thinking he had a spy on the inside because someone had obviously allowed them into the castle. 

She saw one of the archers drop his bow and moved to fight the man that had appeared at the edge of the battlements but others had appeared behind him. Betty felt a hand on her arm, pulling her away from the battlements and back down into the castle and when she turned to see who was pulling her she realized that it was FP. He was looking around the corners, making sure that none of the opposing knights were around them before pulling her around them, finally ending when they were safely inside his chambers. He turned to look at her as he closed the doors behind them.

"You need to leave. Get out of the castle, go find Jughead." He said.

"I can't leave the castle. They're surrounding us, I'd get caught." She said. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"We can't just stay here. If you can't get out of the castle then go to the citadel with the other women." He said looking at her.

"I don't plan on just hiding out and waiting for them to come for me." She said and he stared at her for a moment.

"Betty, if I die you are the only person in the castle with a right to the throne, a right to challenge him. You need to be safe." He said and she blew out a breath.

"Fine, I'll go." She agreed, looking up to meet his eyes. "Be safe."

"Wait." He said as she turned away and she spun to look at him again. He had his lip between his teeth as he studied her for a moment. "I feel as if I should tell you the truth, seeing as I might die."

"The truth about what?" She asked and he sighed.

"Your brother." He said. "He's my son. Your mother and I had a relationship before she was promised to your father. I didn't know she was with child when she left, not until you told us in the council chambers."

"Why are you telling me now?" She asked, studying his face.

"Because you deserve to know." He said before running his hand through his hair again. "And if I am going to die, then I want to go to the gods with no secrets weighing on me. Now go, before it's too late."

She bit her lip and moved to hug him tightly before she spun and left the chambers. She moved through the corridors cautiously, the sounds of battle floating throughout the castle, and as she turned a corner she ran into Veronica. They stared at each other in surprise for a long moment before Betty jerked her into an alcove as she heard the sound of running footsteps. The knight passed by them without noticing and Betty recognized the crest carved into the front of his armor as the crest of Riverdale. She grabbed Veronica's hands, forcing her to look at her.

"What are you doing here? Why are you not in the citadel with the others?" She asked quickly.

"I realized that you weren't there. I was coming to find you." She said and Betty sighed.

"That was stupid Veronica. You should have stayed where you were." She said, glancing around to make sure no one was around to hear them. "Someone needs to ring the warning bell. Jughead has to have realized that it was a distraction by now, he'll be on his way back."

"You want us to go ring the bell?" Veronica asked. "They'll see us for sure."

"No." Betty said, cupping Veronica's face in her hands. "I'm going to ring the warning bells. You are going to find a way out of this castle and leave."

"I can't leave you here!" Veronica exclaimed and Betty lowered a hand to rest on her growing belly, their eyes meeting.

"You have a child to worry about Veronica, I'll be fine. I can fight if I need to." She said firmly. "Run Veronica. Run and don't look back."

Veronica yanked her into an embrace and the held each other tightly as the sounds of battle grew closer. Betty pulled back before pushing Veronica toward the servants quarters, hoping against hope that she'd be able to get out that way. She turned away from her and started running toward the staircase she knew led up to the warning bells, and she felt herself wondering why they hadn't already been rung but she couldn't focus on it yet. As she reached the top of the stairs, she was breathing heavily from exertion but she didn't let it stop her as she shoved the doors open and entered the room with the bell, and she quickly realized why it hadn't been rung. 

The knight that was stationed at the bell was on the ground, a steady puddle of blood pooling under him and a knight wearing a Riverdale cape was standing next to the bell. He spun to look at her quickly nad she drew her sword before he had a chance to step toward her, prompting him to do the same. Their swords met in a clanging of metal as they moved around the room, and she moved quickly enough that he couldn't land a blow. It didn't take her long to disarm him, as he didn't seem to be very skilled with a sword himself, and she plunged her own deep into his gut. She jerked it back out quickly as he fell to the ground and she turned to the bell and grabbed the rope attached to it.

She jerked the rope harshly, causing the bell to swing and begin making sound. She kept going until she heard a sound behind her making her drop the rope and take up her sword once again as she spun leaving her facing a group of knights. She spun the sword in her hand as they moved into the room and she darted backward, not wanting to give them a chance to get behind her, before she swung hard hitting the one in front. He fell to the ground and the others drew their swords. She held them off for as long as she could but they manged to overpower her and one of them knocked the sword out of her hand. 

They grabbed her roughly by her arms and began to drag her from the room causing her to kick out and struggle against them. They were stronger than her and paid no mind to her struggling, just tightening their grip as they dragged her through the castle. She was surprised when they began to approach her chambers but they opened the doors and threw her inside. She caught herself on her hands and scrambled up, rushing for the door that was slammed shut quickly, leaving her banging against it. She tried to push it open and quickly realized that they must have locked her in somehow.

She slid to the floor, her back rested against the doors, and began to cry out of sheer frustration. She took a moment to send a prayer up that Veronica had managed to make it out, and that Jughead and Archie were on their way back to help.


	27. Chapter 27

Jughead wasn't sure how long they'd been in the dungeon, only a small sliver of light reaching them from a window high up in the wall. He knew from that bit of light that it had been at least a couple days but time seemed to blend together in the oppressive darkness of the dungeons. He could hear the other people in their cells moving around but people had stopped speaking to one another, each lost in their own dark thoughts. He had expected to be executed by now but he figured since it was taking so long that Chic probably wanted to make a spectacle of his death. He hoped that wherever Betty was that she was at least safe. 

The sound of Veronica moving around in the cell next to his brought his attention over. Archie was huddled next to the cell bars, reaching through to rub her back while she held his other hand in hers. The knights brought them food once a day and he and Archie had taken the bare minimum of their already minuscule servings and given the rest to Veronica. Archie and Veronica stayed close to the edge of their cells so that they weren't to far from one another while Jughead spent his days pacing. He sighed in frustration and turned to the cell door once again and shook it roughly. He'd been trying to find a weakness in the metal, looking for a way out, since he'd been thrown in here but he hadn't found anything yet. 

"Damn it! I need to get out of here, JB and Betty need me." He said. It was the first thing he'd said in days and his voice was croaky from disuse. He heard movement behind him before Veronica's voice come, low and cautious.

"Jug?" She said causing him to turn and look at her. He could just make out her form in the dim light but he couldn't see her face so he moved closer, sitting on the ground next to Archie. Veronica looked at him for a long moment. "There's something you should know about JB."

"Did something happen?" He asked, wrapping his hands tightly around the bars. Veronica sighed as she looked at him.

"After you left, she fell ill with a fever. Betty took care of her, but she was too far gone. She died Jug." She said. Jughead closed his eyes as he felt the despair roll over him. JB was just a child, she had so much to look forward to and now she'd never get to do any off it. He'd never see her again, and he hadn't been here to hold her and tell her everything was okay. He hadn't been here to say goodbye.

He felt the tears he was trying to hold back slip down his cheeks moments before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Archie pulled him in and wrapped an arms around him as he cried and he felt Veronica's hand on his back as she reached through the bars. He let them comfort him for a moment before he pulled back and wiped the tears from his face. They studied him, each with sympathy covering their faces, before he stood and started his pacing again. He pushed down the pain in his chest, it wouldn't help to lose it now, he needed to stay strong for his people. 

The people of Eldervair were as stubborn as they were loyal and he knew that they'd be resistant to a new rule, especially when that new rule came by force, and aside from that he still didn't know where Betty was. He refused to believe that she was dead. Chic Cooper was cruel and sadistic as she'd said but Jiughead refused to believe that the man would kill his own sister, putting aside the fact that he'd killed his own mother for an army, but Jughead knew that there was no reason for him to kill Betty. He wouldn't gain anything from it, he already had the throne, and Jughead had to believe that she was safe. 

He knew that his father was likely dead already, and so was his sister. Betty was all he had left and he needed her to be okay. He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed a shadow on the wall leading into the dungeons and heard footsteps moments before Chic stepped up next to their cells and turned to put a torch into the sconce on the wall behind him. Archie stood from the ground behind him and Jughead felt him move to his shoulder as Chic stared at them. Jughead glared at him and a smirk crossed his face.

"How does it feel to fall from grace?" He asked. Jughead continued to glare at him and refused to answer causing Chic to shrug. "No matter, you'll be dead soon anyway. Now on to more important things, my dear sister."

"If you touch her I will kill you." Jughead growled out causing Chic to laugh.

"I'm not going to hurt her, she's my sister." He said. "And she's agreed to rule Eldervair with me if I just get rid of you for her. She didn't want to marry you but I convinced her to do it, to gain the respect of the people before I took over. This was the plan all along. You didn't honestly believe she loved you, did you?"

"You're a liar." Jughead snapped. "She loves me."

"Fine, you don't believe me. At least you'll go to your death thinking someone loved you." He said, a harsh laugh following the statement before he took the torch and left, plunging them back into darkness. Jughead slammed his hands against the bars before he leaned his body into them.

"He's lying. Betty loves you." Veronica's voice come from behind him, low an soft. He didn't move from his position as he answered her.

"I know."

"At least we know she's alive." Archie said and Jughead turned to look at him as his eyes adjusted to the low light again.

"That doesn't tell us she's alive Archie. He was lying about all of it." He said and Archie shrugged.

"Yeah, but if she was dead, he would have said something about it. He would have used it against you." He said and Jughead sighed. 

"You're right." He conceded. Archie nodded before he went back to his spot beside the bars with Veronica.

Jughead began pacing again as he thought about the interaction he'd just had. It told him a few things that he had wanted to know. Betty was alive, as Archie had pointed out, and she was likely still inside the castle somewhere. He was relieved that he got a conformation that she was alive but he wished that she wasn't in the grasp of her sadistic brother. He knew that she could take care of herself if he tried to hurt her, but he also knew that if she did anything, he would likely kill her. 

Another thing that worried Jughead was his own death. He knew that Chic would kill him eventually and he didn't want Betty to see it. He wanted her as far away as possible when it happened but he knew that as cruel as Chic was, he'd make her watch. He didn't want that to be the last image she had of him. He wished with everything in him that he could just hold her one last time before it happened. He truly loved her and he wanted to just go back, to stay when she'd asked. Maybe if he had stayed, things would have turned out differently. Maybe he'd have had the chance to say goodbye. Maybe she wouldn't have to witness his death. 

So many things could've been different, but he couldn't focus on that. It had been on his mind since he'd been thrown in the dungeon, and now that Chic had said it was the plan all along, he knew that someone had to have betrayed him. He knew it wasn't Betty, and Lord Blossom may have delivered the poison that killed her parents, but he wasn't it Eldervair anymore. The castle had been impenetrable for hundreds of years which meant that Chic had someone on the inside to let him in. Someone had betrayed them.


	28. Chapter 28

Betty had been locked in her chambers for days, her only company being Ethel who had been shoved in hours after she had looking dirty and disheveled. The knight that had brought her in had said that Chic insisted that she needed someone to look after her. They let Ethel out at certain points in the day to retrieve food but other than that she was locked in with Betty. They didn't speak a lot as Betty stared out the window or moved around the room reading the books that were scattered around to distract her mind from thinking to much. 

She was sitting at the table with a book when the doors opened unexpectedly and she lurched to her feet, the book falling from her hands, as she looked at the door. A knight was standing there and he grabbed her and pulled her out of the room. She heard Ethel gasp before the doors slammed shut behind her, the knights stationed outside of it taking their places again as she was pulled down the corridor. Betty didn't speak as she was pulled along, not even to ask where they were going, because she knew she wouldn't get an answer from him. She got her answer soon enough anyway when she was pulled into the throne room. 

Chic was seated on the throne, the room lined with knights, and the man that had brought her here gave her a light push. She stumbled into the room, stopping directly in front of the throne, and her brother stared down at her from his place. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, the tension in the room palpable, until Chic stood from the throne and started walking toward her. She took a slight step back, refusing to let him into her personal space, causing him to stop a few feet away from her.

"Sister, it's good to see you. You look well." He said and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Right, because you're so concerned about my well being when you attacked my kingdom." She snapped and a slight smirk crossed his face.

"Come now, it's just business." He said and she did roll her eyes this time.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. "The people of Eldervair will never follow you."

"They will follow me, or they will die. Simple as that." He said and she glared at him. He ignored her glare as he swept his arms out, motioning to the room. "Congratulate me sister, I've won."

"I will never congratulate you for this." She said heatedly and he spun to look directly at her.

"Kneel and congratulate me." He snapped. She shook her head.

"I don't kneel for false kings." She said. He moved toward her suddenly and she didn't have a chance to move before he landed a backhand slap to her face but she refused to let him see that it hurt. She brushed her hair back from her face and gave him an impassive face. He looked enraged.

"The king is dead, your husband will soon follow him, there is no one to question my reign." He barked out. "You'd better get used to calling me king, and learn to show respect."

The knight that had brought her in grabbed her arms harshly and dragged her back toward the door. She glared at Chic until the doors slammed, blocking her view, before she followed the knight. She knew she'd have bruises on her arms later from the knights hands gripping them. She jerked against him, only causing him to grip her harder, as he practically dragged her through the corridors. 

"You don't have to listen to him you know." She said.

"Shut up!" He snapped. 

"I'm serious. He's a bastard." She said and she felt his grip loosen for a moment as a look of surprise crossed his face for only a moment.

"I won't listen to lies." He said and she sighed.

"I'm not lying. I'm his sister, don't you think I'd know the truth." She said. They were approaching her chambers but she could tell he was listening to her. When they got there she turned to him before the doors opened. "I'm telling the truth, He's a bastard."

She saw the men stationed at her door exchange looks but the knight gripping her arms shook her lightly. She looked at him and some emotion she couldn't read floated through his eyes as he glanced at the men at her door before he leaned closer to her.

"Don't say that." He said quietly. "Don't give him a reason to hurt you." 

Before she had a chance to respond the doors were opened and she was shoved inside. She spun toward them as they slammed shut and began banging on them harshly, hoping that determination would make them open the doors again, even if it was just to tell her to stop. If they opened the doors she'd have a chance to convince them that she was telling the truth, all she needed was a small chance. Her banging slowed as a wave of nausea rolled over her and she stumbled away from the doors, a hand clamped over her mouth, as she searched for something.

She saw a pot int he corner and rushed over to it moments before she began throwing up. She was heaving over the pot when she felt someone's hands on her back, pulling her hair away from her face, and Ethel's voice come to her asking if she was okay. She spent a few moments hovering over the pot, waiting to make sure she wasn't going to be sick again, before she finally sat back on the floor. Ethel was sitting next to her and quickly poured her some water before pressing the cup into her hand. Betty sipped at it cautiously, not wanting to be sick again, until she was sure it wouldn't cause her to throw up.

"Are you alright?" Ethel asked quietly. Betty nodded.

"I'm fine Ethel." She assured her and Ethel bit her lip.

"You were taking care of the princess before she passed. Are you sure you're not getting sick too?" She asked and Betty shrugged.

"JB wasn't throwing up, she had a fever." She said without thinking and Ethel studied her for a few moments before she gasped.

"My Lady, how long has it been since you bled?" She asked and Betty spun to look at her with wide eyes.

"What?" She asked in shock but her mind was already racing with calculations."I can't be."

"I think you are with child, My Lady." Ethel said next to her and Betty snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her. She gripped Ethel's arms and forced her to look at her, panic rolling through her mind.

"You can't say anything Ethel." She spat hurriedly, looking around as if he was going to just appear. "He can't know."

"I won't say anything, My Lady." She promised and Betty nodded.

Her hand slipped down to rest on her stomach, astonishment running through her. She knew she had to have gotten pregnant very soon after she had come to Eldervair as she hadn't actually been here that long. She had been carrying their child around for weeks without even knowing, and now she was terrified that Jughead would never get to hold their child. She was terrified that she may never get to hold her child. If Chic found out about it she knew he'd never allow it, and he'd likely kill her.

She stood from the floor, leaving Ethel's side as she walked over to the window. She looked out at the sky and sent up a prayer that everything would work out, and her eye caught on something at the edge of the forest. A figure in a dress, with a sword at her side. Betty looked at her for a long moment before she seemed to turn to her and their eyes met from across the courtyard, and Betty felt a gentle calm enter her. She smiled lightly at the woman before she slowly disappeared leaving Betty feeling much better, and a small bit of hope began to grow in her chest. Maybe everything would work out, somehow.


	29. Chapter 29

Jughead was leaning against the wall, listening to Archie murmur comforting words to Veronica as she threw up in the corner. He knew that being locked in the dungeons had to be taking a toll on her but he hoped that when Chic brought him out to be executed that he'd let them go as well. He hoped that they'd have a chance to escape the castle, and that maybe they'd be able to take Betty with them before she had to witness his death. He wanted to see her before he died but he didn't want her to see it so he figured that it would be better if she wasn't here. He was aware that all of that was just wishful thinking though as he knew that Betty wouldn't be able to escape her brothers clutches that easily.

The people of Eldervair respected her and that was something he knew that Chic would try to use to his advantage. He hoped against hope that Betty wasn't being hurt by Chic. He knew that she was almost as stubborn as the people of his kingdom so he knew she would refuse to help Chic and he knew that doing that would make him angry. He felt almost jealous of Archie and Veronica, because at least they were able to touch and comfort one another, even locked in the dungeon as they were. Betty was somewhere in the castle and he couldn't reach her or comfort her and he wanted more than anything to be able to do that simple thing. 

The light filtering through the small window, high up on the wall, was weak and insignificant but it still illuminated the hall slightly so he saw the shadow before he even heard the footsteps. He pushed away from the wall, suddenly alert, as he waited for the person to make an appearance. He expected it to be Chic coming back to taunt them some more but instead it was a group of knights who came to the cell door next to theirs and opened it. Jughead watched as they moved into the cell and grabbed Veronica, who screamed as she was pulled out of her cell. The knights seemed to ignore her cries as they clamped manacles around her wrists, as he and Archie rushed to their cell door.

"Let her go!" Archie shouted, shaking the bars roughly. The knights turned to them and one of them slammed their sword against the bars causing both of them to release their grip and take a step back. The door to their cell was unlocked moments later, a few knights coming in and quickly clamping manacles around their arms as well before either of them had a chance to really react. Jughead took a deep breath as they started pulling them out of the dungeons. This must be it, Chic was going to kill him now. 

He cleared his mind of all thoughts as he followed the knights through the corridors, finally ending their march at the throne room. The doors were opened and they were shoved in the room and forced to their knees in front of the throne, upon which sat Chic Cooper with a gleeful look on his face. Jughead glared at him, figuring that if these were his last moments he was going to make sure that Chic knew just how much he wated to run a sword through him.

The knights who had brought them into the room slid away to take their places along the wall behind them, but Jughead kept his eyes on Chic. He was the threat, the knights wouldn't move unless he told them to, either with words or with a signal. Either way, the threat would come from him first. He looked them over, dirty and disheveled from being in the dungeon, before a smirk crossed his lips.

"I'm told that you were my sisters closest companions. She needs her friends by her side, so I'm going to let you go, if you acknowledge me as your king." He said before his eyes drifted to Jughead. "Except for you. I'm sure you understand by now what I have to do with you, just business."

"You can go to hell." Archie said from beside him, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "The only king I mean to bend my knee too is right beside me."

"Loyal aren't they?" Chic said, a light laugh floating from his lips. "Unfortunate. I didn't want to have to kill him."

He stood from the throne and pulled his sword out of it's sheath as he steeped toward them and Jughead blew out a breath as they watched him come closer. He pressed the sword to Archie's throat, and Jughead saw the defiant look on his face that meant he was about to do something stupid so he jumped in.

"Archie, don't be stupid. Swear your loyalty to him." He snapped and Archie glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Is that an order, My Lord?" He asked and Jughead wanted to roll his eyes. Archie was being faced with death but was still making quips. It was honestly a little admirable, but Jughead still wanted to hit him.

"That's an order." He said seriously. Chic seemed to be watching their exchange with amusement in his eye as he pulled the sword back slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"Swear fealty to me." He demanded and Archie glanced at Jughead, who gave him a look his eyes sliding to Veronica on the other side of Archie for only a moment, before he turned to look at Chic again.

"I swear fealty to you as my liege lord and promise to uphold the laws that you put down until the gods take me." He gritted out. Chic laughed as he sheathed the sword once more.

"Very good." He said, glancing behind them for a moment, signaling a knight to come forward. The knight unlocked Archie's manacle as well as Veronica's before pulling them up from the floor. "You and your wife are a part of the court Sir Archie. Welcome."

Archie and Veronica were pulled to the edge of the room to stand next to the other knights. Jughead glanced at them and the knight next to them caught his eye as he knew exactly who it was. Fangs stood there next to the other knights, seemingly blending in to the others, but when he caught Jughead's eye he winked at him before subtly bringing his finger up to his lips. Jughead glanced at Chic, who had his back turned to them as he walked back to the throne, before his eyes went back to Fangs. He'd thought that they had someone on the inside but it didn't add up to being Fangs, who he knew respected him and his father more than anything, so there had to be another reason for him to be standing there dressed like a knight of Riverdale.

Fangs glanced at Chic, who had made his way back and was sitting on the throne but wasn't looking directly at either of them, before he mouthed something. Jughead sent him a questioning look, not understanding what he'd said, causing him to repeat it, slower this time. Jughead forced himself to pay attention and he finally understood as the word Fangs was mouthing became clear. Betty. Jughead's eyes widened for a moment before he schooled his face into a blank expression as he gave a slight nod before turning his attention back to Chic. He had to trust that Betty had a plan.

"You're my sisters husband." Chic said, startling Jughead out of his thoughts as he focused on the other man's face. "But you are also the prince, which means that I have to kill you. My sister of course will have to remarry, she's much to young to be a widow for the rest of her life. Any suggestions? I'm sure by now that you know what she likes."

"I will kill you." Jughead growled out, anger encapsulating his entire being. 

"Oh really, and how do you plan on doing that?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat to smirk at Jughead. "You're chained up in my throne room."

"She's not your property! You can't just treat her like that." Jugead snapped and Chic laughed.

"She's my sister. After her husband dies, she'll become my property, so I can do that actually." He said and Jughead grit his teeth together as he glared at him.

"If you need me dead so badly then why haven't you killed me yet?" Jughead asked. Chic shrugged lightly like they were having a conversation about the weather rather than his death.

"I wanted o make it a spectacle, a warning to the people of Eldervair about what would happen to them should they revolt and of course I wanted my dear sister to be there." He said lightly. "I've had the knights building the pyre all week."

It hit Jughead then how Chic planned to kill him. It wasn't going to be something easy and quick like beheading or hanging, it was going to hurt and it was going to take a long time.He really should have expected it, after all Betty had warned them that he was cruel and sadistic. Jughead felt a very real inkling of fear grow in his stomach as his heart started racing but he refused to let Chic see weakness. He pushed down the fear and showed the man a nonchalant face as he clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"That's a bad way to go." He said calmly. Chic glared at him and Jughead knew that he had been looking for a different response.

"The last thing your wife will see of you is a burnt husk of a person. That's what she'll remember." He said, his voice laced with malice but Jughead didn't let himself be baited.

"Betty loves me and she'll hate you for the rest of your life. That's good enough for me." He said, allowing a smirk to cross his lips as he glared at the man. Chic leapt from the throne a strode toward him but was distracted when the doors opened. Jughead glanced behind him, his gaze drawn by the sound, and everything seemed to freeze for a moment when he saw Betty being led into the room by knights. Their eyes met and she stumbled lightly as a gasp fell from her lips.


	30. Chapter 30

Betty was laying on her bed, her hand resting on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling as Ethel moved around the room quietly, cleaning things up even though they weren't that messy, and Betty knew she was just trying to distract herself from the thoughts running through her mind, just like Betty was. It surprised both of them when the doors opened, as lost in thought as they were, and it took a moment for Betty to realize that they were there to allow Ethel out to get food. Betty had been so distracted by the realization that she was with child that she hadn't even thought about food. Ethel glanced at her for a moment before she left the room and the doors closed behind her. 

Betty sighed and laid back against the bed once again to wait, so it shocked her thoroughly when the door opened again only a few minutes later. She sat up suddenly to look at the door and she saw a knight standing there as the doors closed behind him. She scooted off the bed on the opposite side from him and stared at him cautiously as he held his hands up. He didn't move any closer to her as they studied each other for a long moment and Betty realized that she knew him. She'd seen him in passing when she lived in Riverdale. Reggie Mantle, captain of the guard.

"What do you want?" She snapped. He blew out a breath.

"I wanted to speak to you while your ladies maid wasn't here." He said.

"Why?" She asked. He sighed.

"I wanted to ask if you were telling the truth about your brother." He said. Betty studied him, trying to determine if he was being genuine.

"I was telling the truth." She said quietly and he seemed relieved for some reason. 

"Good because I'm going to help you." He said and Betty raised an eyebrow.

"Help me?" She asked. He bit his lip as he looked at her.

"We never wanted a part in this fight, My Lady. We've been fighting our entire lives and we were ready for it to be over. We all approved of the peace treaty, but then your parents were killed." He said, his face earnest as she observed him. "We knew that it seemed strange. Why would Eldervair attack us after such a short time of peace, but we marched anyway. We all want it to end. Your brother has made us fight when we didn't want to. Many good men have died for a cause that none of us believe in, and now we realize that all he wanted was the throne."

"If you knew that something was strange about the death then why did you agree to march for him?" She asked. Reggie sighed again.

"We believed him to be the heir to the throne of Riverdale. When your parents died, he was made king. It is not our place to question, My Lady, only to obey but you've given us the truth. He's a bastard and a false king, we don't have to follow him." He said and Betty studied him for a moment, her arms crossed over her body.

"Why should I believe any of this?" She asked. 

"Because, My Lady, you are a Cooper and he is not. When I became a knight, I swore fealty to the Cooper family, and I intend to uphold that promise." He said and Betty sighed as she searched his face for any trace that he was lying but he seemed completely genuine.

"Okay, say I believe you. We can't just attack him, he has someone on the inside feeding him information, we need to find them. Keep up appearances, don't let him suspect that anything is wrong, and only act when I give the signal." She said and Reggie nodded.

"What's the signal?" He asked. Betty sighed.

"You'll know it when you see it." She said. "Don't let me down."

"I won't, My Lady." He said. "You can trust me when I say that everyone is ready for this fight to be over. We're all ready to go home." 

He bowed to her before leaving the room and Betty floated over to the window and looked out. Her eyes went to the edge of the forest, and even though the figure wasn't there, she still felt a bit more at ease. She was hesitant to trust Reggie but she knew at this point that she didn't have a better option and he'd seemed pretty genuine. She found herself thankful that she'd sent JB away so at least if something happened to her then at least the girl had a chance at life. She knew that if she'd been here, or if Chic knew that she was still alive, that he'd hunt her down and kill her. She was glad that only she, FP and Sweet Pea knew that she was alive. FP had taken the secret to the grave with him and she was prepare to do the same if she had to. She trusted Sweet Pea to take care of JB if she couldn't manage to get rid of Chic.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Ethel entering the room with food, the smell of the stew drawing her as she realized how hungry she actually was. Ethel set the food out on the table, and Betty motioned for her to sit next to her as they ate quietly. Betty dipped her bread into the stew before eating it, and before she realized it, they had finished eating. She wiped her mouth before leaving Ethel at the table as she picked up the book she had been reading before and fell back into it.

Ethel moved to the other side of the room and sat on the chaise as she picked up a different book to read. The only sound in the room for the next few hours was the sound of pages turning until the doors opened unexpectedly drawing both of their eyes. A knight stepped into the room and grabbed Betty suddenly and she was sure that it looked rough as he jerked her up from the bed, causing her book to fall to the ground, but his grip on her arms was gentle. She glanced at Ethel, who watched them with a startled loo on her face, before she was dragged out of the room and the doors slammed closed behind them. 

She was led down the corridors until she got to the throne room and the doors opened allowing her into the room. She stepped in but got distracted when she saw Jughead on his knees in front of the throne, his hands chained in front of him, and she stumbled as their eyes met. She saw Veronica and Archie standing in the corner of the room but her focus was firmly on Jughead as they stared at each other. She felt a light push to her shoulder, bringing her out of her daze, as she continued into the room. She stopped next to Jughead, close enough that her dress brushed against his leg as she looked up at her brother. His eyes flicked between them for a moment before he looked fully at her.

"Sister, so good of you to join us." He said and she scoffed.

"Go to hell." She snapped and he smirked.

"I see you still haven't learned manners." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"I see that you're still pretending to be a king." She said. She knew she shouldn't bait him but she was angry and she couldn't help but let it slip out. Chic glared at her from his seat on the throne.

"As I said, your king is dead. Your husband is soon to follow him." He said, anger lacing his word. "It's time you learned some respect."

"I don't think so." She said. "I can't respect someone who doesn't deserve it."

"It's no matter." He snapped. "You won't be around much longer anyway."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" She asked sarcastically.

"You've got a problem sister. I know all of your secrets." He said, redirecting the conversation.

"I'm sure that's not true." She said and he turned to her with a smirk on his face.

Are you sure?" He asked, and his smirk sharpened. "I know all about the child that you carry in your womb." 

Betty jerked back, her hand going to cover her stomach protectively as she starred at him. She saw Jughead's head whip to her out of the corner of her eye but she didn't acknowledge it as her mind began racing. They'd known that he had someone on the inside and there was only one person who could have told him about this. Ethel had betrayed her. From the moment that she'd come to Eldervair, Ethel had been their on the edge of the conversations being ignored as servants were, all the while gathering information for Chic. Betty felt stupid that she hadn't seen it before now, but she'd trusted the girl. She hadn't thought that she'd do something lie this. Chic's voice brought her out of her spiraling thoughts.

"What if you bare a son? A legitimate heir to question my reign?" He said, standing from the throne and walking toward her as he unsheathed his sword. "You know I can't allow it."

Betty looked around the room, her eyes scanning the knights quickly, but she couldn't tell anything from their impassive expressions. She had to hope that Reggie hadn't been lying to her earlier in the day, and that she wasn't about to get killed for making a move against their king, before she spun and yanked the sword out of the sheath of the knight standing next to her. She bounced backwards as she turned to face Chic who had his sword up and ready. 

She spun the sword in her hand as she studied his body language, waiting for him to make a move. She noticed Jughead moving out of the corner of her eye, and she realized that he was scooting out of the way, but she didn't let it distract her. The same couldn't be said for Chic who looked fully at him as he moved across the floor, giving her the opportunity to streak forward and swing her sword, their swords connected and his slipped slightly making him tighten his grip as his eyes flew back to her. 

He pulled his sword back and swung it at her quickly. She managed to block the blow but it knocked her back slightly as he pushed forward. She caught his blade with her own and shoved him back from her as she pulled back slightly. They circled each other in the room, and she saw a manic glint in his eye that made her cautious of him. She knew he was dangerous and she made sure to never let him get behind her as they moved because she knew that he'd take the opportunity to stab her in the back. 

They moved around, each looking for a way through the other's defenses, until Betty darted forward quickly and dragged her blade across his arm causing a bloom of red to cover his sleeve. He cursed as he swung at her but she's already gotten out of his reach. Their swords met in a clanging of metal, the injury to his arm obviously affecting him, making it easier to deflect his blows. She studied his movements for a moment before she smirked and moved into him, stopping his sword as it swung toward her and she twisted her hand on the hilt of her sword, causing him to lose his grip on his own. It fell to the floor with a loud clang and she slammed her hilt into the side of his head causing him to fall to his knees in front of her and she pressed the blade of her sword against his throat. He looked up at her with a blurry look in his eyes.

"Guards! Seize her!" He spat. Betty glanced around just in case but no one moved and she smirked as she let out a harsh laugh.

"You didn't honestly believe that would work did you?" She asked, shaking her head. "You really should have put me in the dungeon with the others. It was so easy to turn your army against you, all I had to do was tell them the truth. That you are a bastard with no name, and no claim to any throne. These men are pledged to the Cooper family, of which you are not a member, but I am. They are loyal to me."

She turned to look at the knights surrounding them, her eyes catching on Reggie at the edge of the group. He noticed her gaze and moved forward to join her and she glanced at her brother, slightly swaying on his knees before she met Reggie's eyes.

"Take my brother to the dungeons, and release the knights of Eldervair that are being held there. Keep a guard stationed with him at all times." She said and Reggie nodded turning to order a few of his knights to do the task before turning back to her. 

"Anything else, My Lady." He asked and Betty nodded.

"My ladies maid. She is still in my chambers, and she doesn't know what's happened yet. I want you to take her to an empty room in the servants quarters, and keep her there until I have a chance to deal with her. Keep a guard with her as well." She said and he nodded but before he turned away she grabbed his arm. "And you should probably release my husband."

Reggie glanced behind her at Jughead, who was still in chains, before he moved toward him and pulled out the key. The moment the chains dropped from his wrist he was on his feet as he rushed over to her. She pulled him into her arms and they held each other for a long moment before he pulled back slightly and she felt his hand come to rest against her stomach as she looked up to meet his eyes. 

"A child." He said, astonishment in his voice.

"Yeah." She said softly before she pulled him down for a soft kiss. "It's kind of amazing."

"You're kind of amazing." He said softly.


	31. Chapter 31

Jughead and Betty were laying in their bed after a spectacular reunion and Jughead was tracing shapes into her side as she laid against him. The room was lit with the soft light of the roaring fire in the hearth and the candles positioned throughout the room, making it seem light and dreamy. Jughead moved his hand from her side to rest on her stomach and she laid her hand over his as she looked at him.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. He sighed as he looked at her.

"It's scary, thinking of bringing a child into the world. My father, my mother, my sister. They're all gone. I guess it makes me nervous, like we're cursed or something." He said and Betty scooted away slightly to look at him fully and their eyes met as she propped herself up on her elbow.

"JB isn't dead." She said and he stared at her for a long moment before he sat up, his heart racing in his chest.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as Betty moved to sit up next to him. "Veronica told me that she got sick after we left." 

"I sent her away with Sweet Pea. We told everyone that she had died so that Chic wouldn't go looking for her. If she was dead, he'd have no reason to look for her." She said. "I told Sweet Pea not to bring her back until he'd heard from me, but I sent him a letter earlier."

"She's okay." He said, his voice low.

"She's okay." Betty confirmed and he pulled her into him. 

"Thank you." He said and she wrapped her arms around him after placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. They held each other for a moment before she pulled back and looked at him.

"Can I show you something?" She asked and he nodded. She slid out of the bed, pulling him along with her as she hurriedly pulled on a dress. He dressed quickly, following her lead, and she reached to grab his hand and pull him along. The corridors were quite, everyone in their chambers for the night, as they walked down them quietly. Betty grabbed a torch next to the door before the entered the courtyard, and Jughead noticed one of the knights stationed at the entrance glance at them strangely as they passed but he didn't comment. 

Jughead knew that they must look strange walking through the gardens so late at night, but he also knew that the knights weren't going to question them as he followed Betty further away from the castle. When they came to the edge of the forest he looked at her and she gave him a smile before pulling him into the trees. They walked for a short time until the came upon a small stream running through the forest and Betty sat down on a rack positioned at the edge of the water.

She seemed to be waiting for something as he observed her in the light of the moon. She didn't speak as she looked around into the trees that surrounded them and Jughead stepped closer to her. He joined her on the rock and she glanced at him before she went back to watching the forest and he ran a hand through her hair gently as he watched the water rush by.

"This is lovely Betty, but we could have come to see it in the morning." He said lightly and she looked over at him.

"The stream isn't what I brought you here to see Jug. Just wait." She said quietly. 

Jughead shrugged as he began to look at the forest around them, following her gaze. It seemed to be only a moment later when a small ball of light appeared a few feet in front of them and Betty gripped his hand. He watched as the ball of light grew into the silhouette of a woman before it brightened suddenly, causing spots across his vision, but when they cleared he was astonished at the woman standing in front of him.

"Mother?" He asked, his voice hesitant and she smiled.

"It's so good to see you my love." She said, her voice the same as he remembered it and he glanced at Betty who was already looking at him with a small smile on her face.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" He asked and she nodded.

"The first time I came here, I was drawn in by a feeling tugging me to this spot, and I saw JB sitting here." She explained. "Then, I met your mother."

"Is this real?" He asked softly, his gaze going back to the woman in front of him.

"It's very real." She said, smiling at him. "As I explained to Betty, there are places in Eldervair that yo u can speak to those who have passed."

"Why did I never know about this?" He asked. She gave him a gentle look.

"Your father and I decided not to tell you and JB. It's good that I get to see you as you grow up, but it doesn't do to dwell on those you've lost." She said. "You're supposed to mourn them, and remember them, but you aren't supposed to spend the rest of your life with the memory of them haunting you."

"How did JB find you then?" Betty asked from beside him. "If you never told them about it."

"She's a clever little girl." She said fondly. "She found a book in the library and became determined to find a place to speak to me."

"Could I speak to father here?" Jughead asked. interrupting their conversation. "I just want to make sure that....that he's okay, I guess."

"You can speak to him here but it's going to take a few days before that can happen. He needs to get his barings before he'll be able to communicate with people from the living world." She said and Jughead nodded. 

"It's good to see you mother." He said as he looked at her. "I can't believe you're actually here." 

"I'm always around Jughead, watching over you and JB, it's just that you can see and speak to me here." She said. "Speaking of, I hear that there's congratulations to be said. A child is a blessing."

"Thank you." Betty said softly and a smile crossed Jughead's face as he looked at her.

"It's very exciting." He said, causing Betty to smile at him. His mother laughed softly.

"You two will be great parents, I'm sure." She said as she smiled at them. "And I'll be here, watching over them."

They spent a while in the clearing speaking to his mother until Betty began yawning and his mother insisted they go back to the castle and get some sleep. She faded away slowly, leaving the clearing darker than it was before as the torch they'd brought with them had gone out. The moon was large and full giving them enough light to find their way back to the castle, the night seeming warm and calm, as they reached the entrance back into the castle. 

They made their way to their chambers quickly, stripping off their clothes before climbing into the bed. Betty curled into him and was asleep only minutes later, leaving him to wrap his arms around her and press a kiss into her hair. She had almost simultaneously given him back his sister and his mother, after single handedly regaining their kingdom from her brother and now she was cuddled into him, sleeping soundly, and all he could think was that he was so glad that she was his. Glad that he got to have her for the rest of their lives.

She was the most amazing person that he'd ever met, and the fact that she loved him back astonished him. He never thought that he'd get to marry someone like her, and he certainly hadn't expected to fall in love with her. He'd always known that his marriage would be used to forge an alliance, and he's thought that he'd respect the woman he married but he never thought he'd love her. He was glad that he ended up being wrong, and more than that he was glad that Betty existed. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it, and now they were going to have a child. A perfect mix of the two of them, and as nervous as he was about the prospect, he was also excited. He couldn't wait for their future to begin.


	32. Chapter 32

The next day found Betty and Jughead in the throne room waiting for Ethel to be brought to them. The lords and ladies of the court were standing around the room, having been released from the dungeons the day before, to observe the trial. Betty knew that she was guilty but she still wanted to speak to the girl personally before handing down a sentence. Betty had sent the knights of Riverdale on a march back home, trusting the knights of Eldervair to take their places guarding Ethel and Chic. It didn't take long for the knights to bring Ethel to the throne room, leaving her in the middle of the floor on her knees, as they stepped back. Ethel looked up at her and Betty pressed her lips together as she studied the girl.

"My Lady, why have I been brought here?" She asked and Betty raised an eyebrow. Jughead gave her a nod and she stepped forward to speak.

"Ethel Muggs, you are brought before the court today on charges of murder and treason. How do you answer these charges?" She asked and she saw the fear cross Ethel's face.

"My Lady, I'm a bit confused." She said.

"What charge confuses you?" Betty asked, pacing in front of her. "I'd start with the simplest one. You helped murder my parents. You sent Nightshade back to Riverdale with Clifford Blossom."

"My Lady, please I can explain." She said and Betty held up a hand to keep her from speaking.

"You conspired with my brother to betray my family. Thanks to your treachery my parents were murdered and my brother used Riverdale's army to launch an attack against this kingdom. Which brings me to the charge of treason. You helped in the murder of the king and queen of Riverdale, committing treason against your own kingdom, later you further committed treason against this kingdom when you helped Chic get the knights into this castle." Betty said looking down to met Ethel's eyes. She looked up at her with fear in her eyes as she reached out to touch the edge of Betty's dress.

"Please, My Lady, I have known you since we were girls. I've protected you." She said and Betty scoffed and stepped away from her so that she couldn't touch her anymore.

"Protected me? By selling my secrets to my enemy?" She spat. "My brother knows about the child that I carry, and the only way he could know is if someone told him. The only people who knew were me and you. It didn't take a lot for me to realize that you have been communicating with him. He was going to kill me. Is that what you call protection?" 

"I'm sorry. I'll do better." She pleaded.

"Do you honestly think that I would ever trust you again?" She asked staring at the girl in front of her. "What did he promise you Ethel? What was worth your loyalty? A night in his bed? A crown?"

"Nothing, My Lady." She said and Betty shook her head.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. Whatever it was, he never would have given it to you and if you ever believed that he would then you're stupider than I thought." She said as she turned away from Ethel and made her way back to the raised dais where Jughead was waiting for her. 

He gave her a smile smile as she took her place next to him before he turned to look at the girl in front of them. She was still on her knees as she watched them, and Jughead touched her arm lightly before he stepped forward in front of her and raised his voice for everyone to hear as they waited for his verdict.

"For the crime of treason there is only one sentence I can pass. Death." He said, the word seeming to hang in the air around them as the knights moved to drag her out of the room and back to her cell to await her punishment. 

As the doors closed, Jughead turned to Betty and touched her face lightly. She smiled at him as their eyes met and he ran a hand up her arm to rest on her shoulder, as they waited for Chic to be brought up from the dungeons. 

"You don't have to stay for this trial. I can handle it." He said quietly and she shook her head.

"I'm okay. I don't mind being here." She assured him and he studied her face for a moment.

"He's your brother. Are you sure that you can handle it?" He asked, seeming to search her face. "You know what his punishment is going to be."

"He killed my parents. He stopped being family a long time ago." She said and he nodded. They steeped away from each other as the doors opened once again and the knights marched her brother into the room. 

He was dirty and unkempt with blood dried on the sleeve of his shirt from the injury she'd inflicted upon him but as he was forced to his knees in front of them he still managed to glare at them with anger on his face. Betty stared at him for a moment before she cleared her throat and stepped forward to speak.

"Hello brother." She said and he glared at her. "You have been brought before the court because you attacked our kingdom and killed the king."

"Why even bring me here?" He snapped. "Just kill me and get it over with."

"Your plan was stupid." Betty said, ignoring his comments. "You murdered my parents to gain the throne in Riverdale but you knew that Polly knew the truth of your birth and that she would never allow you to keep the throne that rightfully belongs to her son, so you launched an attack against Eldervair on the basis of a lie." Betty paced along the dais as she spoke. "I get your reasoning. If you gain a throne by force then no one can take it from you, so you had Ethel feed you secrets and allow you into the castle making it easier to take the throne because we didn't expect it. You also sent Clifford Blossom to Eldervair so that we'd suspect him of being the spy, instead of your actual spy." She stopped pacing and moved away from the dais to stand directly in front of him and look down at him. "But you had a flaw in your planning. You forgot that I also knew the secret of your birth."

"You were promised away by your parents to a man you'd never met!" He exclaimed. "I didn't expect you to fall in love with him. I expected you to be on my side. I was going to let you lead beside me."

"That was bad planning on your part." She said casually as she looked at him. "I never would've ruled with you even if I didn't love my husband. You forget, brother, that I grew up watching you. I know the kind of person you are. You are vile and cruel. I know how many times mother and father had to cover up the horrible things you did to the servants in Riverdale. I would die before I let you hurt people here like you did there."

"What about family loyalty? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" He spat. Betty sighed and shook her head as she looked at him.

"You ask me about family loyalty when you've murdered your own mother?" She asked stepping away from him.

"She was nothing but a whore!" He yelled and Betty left him on the floor as she came back to Jughead. He wrapped an arm around her waist when she reached him, and their eyes met for a brief moment. She squeezed his hand to let him know that she was okay before turning her attention back to her brother. Jughead glanced at the knights positioned behind him and they grabbed him and pulled him up out of the room. 

Betty knew that they were going to retrieve Ethel and bring them both down to the gallows. Jughead led her out of the room and proceeded to the entrance of the castle with the lords and ladies of the court following after them. She followed him down the courtyard and into the field that held the gallows, the castle standing high and imposing behind them, as they waited for Ethel and Chic to be brought out. The executioner was standing at the edge of the platform that held the gallows and Betty sighed as she looked up at the sun shining down. Jughead touched her arms and turned her to face him, their eyes meeting as he looked at her.

"You really don't have to be here for this." He said. "No one would blame you if you couldn't watch it."

"I need to stay Jug." She said. "I can't just look away, I need to see it. I was taught that if you hand down a sentence that you have to see it through."

"If you're sure." He said and she nodded.

"I'm sure." She said. 

It was only a few minutes later that the knights brought them to the gallows. Their hands were tied behind their backs as the executioner slipped the rope over their necks and Betty took a deep breath as she watched. She forced her self to look as the executioner moved away from them to the lever on the edge of the platform. She held her breath as he yanked it, causing the platform to open up below their feet, and the rope pulled tight. It was over quickly as she tucked herself into Jughead's side and he ran a hand through her hair. After it was over she turned to Fangs who was standing next to her.

"Fangs." She said and he turned to her coming to attention suddenly.

"My Lady." He said and she glanced over at the bodies still hanging.

"Make sure that they're given a proper burial." She said. She saw his eyes go to Jughead for only a moment before he bowed to her.

"Of course, My Lady." He said and she nodded before turning her back on the gallows and making her way back to the castle. Jughead followed behind her and they made it to the castle quickly. Betty kept walking until she made it to their chambers and Jughead closed the doors behind them before he pulled her into his arms. She let him hold her for a little while, as he pressed a soft kiss to the tope of her head, before she pulled away and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. She pulled out a piece of paper and a quill to begin writing and Jughead leaned on the desk next to her.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Writing to Polly. I sent the knights back to Riverdale but they won't have made it there yet and she should know about what's happened. If I send a raven, she'll get the message much faster." She explained, keeping her focus on the letter si she didn't smudge the writing.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently and she looked up at him. He had a sympathetic look on his face and she gave him a small smile of reassurance.

"I'm okay." She said, biting her lip. "I don't enjoy watching people being executed but it had to be done. They betrayed us, and this was the punishment. I promise, I'm good." 

"Good." He said softly. She sat her quill down next to the paper and stood to wrap her arms around him as she kissed him. His hands fell to her waist as he kissed her back and they spent a few moments just holding each other before she pulled back slightly to lean her forehead against his.

"I love you." She said causing him to smile.

"I love you too."


	33. Epilogue

After the death of Chic, they held a funeral to say goodbye to their king before Betty and Jughead were crowned as king and queen. A few weeks after that Sweet Pea and Jellybean finally made it back to Eldervair, and Betty and Jughead assumed care of the girl. She was saddened by the death of her father but eventually he was able to materialize in the same way that her mother did in that clearing, so they were all able to speak to him sometimes. Betty took what Jughead's mother said about dwelling on lost loved ones and restricted Jellybean's visits to once a week, which the girl resisted at first, but eventually she realized that Betty was right and agreed to the terms.

A few weeks after the death of Chic, they heard from her sister. Polly was named as queen regent until her son came of age and they worked out a new peace treaty between their kingdoms. Polly and Jason had traveled to Eldervair shortly after to sign the new treaty alongside Betty and Jughead. The twins spent the time in Eldrervair running around the gardens following Jellybean, while their parents watched. Betty and Polly spent some time together, along with Veronica, discussing pregnancy. Polly was excited when Betty informed her of the news and she'd been quick to share advice with both of them, which they took note of, before she began her journey back to Riverdale.

Months later they were woken late at night with the news that Veronica was in labor. Betty had rushed to her side quickly, passing Archie in the corridor as he paced nervously. Betty stayed by her side the entire time, wiping her brow as she went, and whispering encouraging words to her friend. It took a few hours before she was ready to give birth to her child and Betty held her hand as she brought her child into the world. The midwife that helped deliver the baby wrapped it in cloth and handed the baby to Veronica. Betty smiled at her as she held her baby for the first time, each of them amazed at the small little person in her arms, before veronica unwrapped the cloth revealing that her baby was a boy. Archie and Veronica named the child Fred after Archie's late father.

It was a few months later when Betty's turn came and Veronica came to her side as she had for her. The labor was long and hard, the pain running through her taking her breath, but she pushed through it to bring her child into the world. It only took a few pushes before the baby's wails filled the room and Betty was handed a cloth wrapped child much like Veronica's earlier. Betty also gave birth to a boy, who the named Forsythe Pendelton Jones IV. Jellybean loved helping Betty with the baby.

Archie and Veronica ended up having only two children,both boys, Fred and Simon. Betty and Jughead had four children, Forsythe IV, Juliet, Marie, and Andrew. It was a surprise to no one when Simon and Juliet began courting, as they had always been very close growing up, and when they got married it was a massive affair attended by everyone in the kingdom of Eldervair as well as the rulers of Riverdale. 

Betty and Jughead ruled Eldervair with kindness and brought a new prosperity for the people when they opened up trade with Riverdale. The people celebrated them happily and loved their king and queen fiercely. Betty regularly brought her children to the market to mingle with the people and she taught them to treat everyone with kindness regardless of their status. Their children grew into amazing people who put the needs of their people first. Jughead on the other hand taught their children to be diplomatic and independent.

Betty installed a basic sword fighting lesson, given to all citizens of Eldervair once the reached a certain age, taught by the knights. She wanted the people of Eldervair to be able to defend themselves should something happen again. She took it upon herself to provide her children with more in depth skills, making sure that they'd be able to fight as well as a knight if they ever needed to. Veronica occasionally joined the lessons as Betty had taught her to fight after everything. 

Life in Eldervair was peaceful and beautiful for the remainder of their reign the treaty being upheld by both Kingdoms. With their families being entwined, both the rulers of Eldervair and Riverdale, maintained a friendly alliance with one another ushering in a golden age that lasted for generations. Even after the deaths of Jughead and Betty, the people of Eldervair told stories of their love and sang songs in honor of them, passing the stories down for generations until it became a legendary story of war and love. Many years later, someone finally wrote down the story that had been told for generations, and young girls who read the story began to admire the warrior princess spoken about in the pages and yearn for a love like she had. All the while Betty and Jughead watched on from a small clearing in the edge of the forest, the castle they called home standing in the distance, old and crumbling as people came to visit and take pictures.

Their story became one of the great love stories, told over generations of people, the details become lost and changed along the way, but their love remaining constant as it always had.


End file.
